CAES News
CAES TO U.S. SENATE: PASS S. 3711-- Historic Legislation to Reverse 25-Year, ‘Just Say No’ Energy Policy
WASHINGTON, DC – The Consumer Alliance for Energy Security today issued the following statement at a news conference where CAES representatives joined Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Pete Domenici (R-NM) and Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) to push for passage of S. 3711, The Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006:
“The U.S. Senate is poised to pass historic legislation, S. 3711, which reverses a more than 25-year ‘Just Say No’ energy policy. We applaud Chairman Domenici, Senator Landrieu and the bipartisan group of Senators supporting S. 3711 for tackling the current energy crisis head-on. This legislation will increase access to America’s abundant energy supplies and will help lower energy prices for U.S. consumers, farmers, small business, industrial energy users and seniors on fixed incomes and will enhance our energy security.
“We are all feeling the negative impacts of higher energy prices. In recent testimony, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke indicated that higher energy prices ‘have adversely affected the purchasing power of households and weighed on consumer attitudes’ and are causing a ‘deceleration’ of the U.S. economy. Just this week, in the wake of increased demand due to unusually warm weather throughout the country, natural gas prices climbed yet again after an unexpected drop in U.S. inventories. Last winter was warmer than anticipated, yet consumers paid 20% more to heat their homes. The signs of an energy crisis cannot be clearer.
“Our current crisis is caused by flawed policies that have created an imbalance between the supply and demand for natural gas, resulting in record-high prices for U.S. consumers and businesses. The only way to fix this self-inflicted problem is to safely access America’s energy supplies on the Outer Continental Shelf. S. 3711 does that and we strongly urge passage by the U.S. Senate of this critical and important piece of legislation.”
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CONTACT:
Craig G. Veith
(703) 717-9816
craig.veith@craigveith.com