Drivers Vote: Pass This!

Republicans have proposed new energy legislation that strips away many of the sources of oil and gas to which Democrats have objected, like drilling in Alaska, clean coal and nuclear energy. It's an appeal to bipartisanship to address the issue that most concerns Americans: gas prices.

This bill is the most realistic prospect we have seen of Congress actually doing something to reduce the price of gas.

Human Events described the legislation:

The four-step plan to “find more, use less” includes the promotion of offshore drilling, oil shale exploration, utilizing plug-in electric vehicles and improving the Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) with increased funding, staff and regulation.

Even the New York Times payed attention:

In a rather dramatic show of force, 22 Senate Republicans attended a news conference in a grassy park outside the Senate office buildings to trumpet the Gas Price Reduction Act of 2008. Most of them did not get a chance to speak, underscoring their dedication to the issue, since most senators do not relish playing a backdrop role. . . .

None of the proposals were new, but the Republicans said they were reaching out a hand to Democrats by not including a provision to allow oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, which the Democrats oppose.

“When we say, ‘deep shore exploration,’ ” Mr. Alexander said, “they say ‘no we can’t.’ When we say ‘oil shale development,’ they say ‘no we can’t.’ When we say ‘more nuclear power to plug in electric cars and trucks,’ they say ‘no we can’t.’ We want to make it easier for them to say, ‘yes we can,’ so we can get a result that will lower gas prices. The American people don’t want us to be up here talking trash. They would like us to be up here, getting results.”

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell wrote the legislation.

Looking for the Courier-Journal's coverage of the one bill readers might care about? Go to the article entitled, "Gas hits $4.30 a gallon, leaves drivers fuming." Then go to the jump on D2 and look at the bottom of the page. It's buried better than King Tut.