On the recordMay 18, 2011
I rise today as a cosponsor of the Republican leader's Offshore Production and Safety Act, S. 953. I have to say it is a breath of fresh air to be discussing a substantive energy policy proposal. Last week in the Senate Finance Committee and yesterday on the Senate floor, we witnessed a cynical charade as some of my colleagues attempted to exploit high gas prices as an excuse to, once again, raise taxes. It is no secret the liberals in Congress have an answer to every problem but unfortunately it has been the same answer for every problem. Whether the problem is health care costs, out-of-control spending, unemployment, or high gas prices, their answer in every case is to raise taxes. The American people have caught on to the uninspired monotony of that particular message. In the last election they sent us their own message: enough with the spending and enough with the taxing. Apparently, though, that message was not loud enough or clear enough because the worn-out big government approach remains the only option being offered by my friends on the other side. Americans are fed up with lame excuses to expand the size of government. What Americans want, need, and deserve is real solutions to real problems. Those problems are real. High gas prices are an indicator of a much deeper problem facing our Nation's energy security. It is a problem that runs deep but it is not too difficult to understand.…
