Thompson Calls on White House, Congress to End Political Games Over Gas Prices

Washington, D.C. – Congressman Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson issued the following statement regarding the current debate over gas prices and the need for bipartisan action to expand domestic energy production and avert America’s looming energy crisis:

“The Washington summertime ritual where politicians spend more time bickering over pains at the pump than working to create real solutions must come to an end,” said Thompson. “No longer should this debate rise and fall based on gas prices. It’s time to take action and move forward with a plan to aggressively expand domestic production and a framework for long-term energy security.”

In early April, the House Natural Resources Committee passed three energy bills cosponsored by Thompson – H.R. 1229, H.R. 1230 and H.R. 1231 – each designed to boost domestic energy production. These bills and others are slated to be voted on in the House in the coming weeks.

“Members of both political parties agree the President’s policies are ill-advised, irresponsible and will further our dependence on foreign sources of energy and produce greater uncertainty for families and job creators,” said Thompson. “The failure to seriously address rising fuel prices reflects a lack of leadership coming from the White House and clear detachment from the uncertainty Americans are facing.”

Thompson’s remarks come as some prominent Democrats have begun criticizing the leadership of the President on helping Americans cope with rising gas prices. Yesterday, Rep. Dan Boren, an Oklahoma Democrat, offered the following remarks, which appeared in Oklahoma’s Tulsa World:

“Boren described Obama as completely uninformed about the oil and gas industry. ‘The industry is not made up of just major companies,’ he said. ‘It is made up of small independent firms like those in Oklahoma that produce a vast majority of our domestic production.’ … If the president doesn't want to stand up and be a leader, then his silence would be appreciated from people who are trying to find solutions.”

On Tuesday, Thompson delivered a speech before an oil and gas seminar in Pittsburgh hosted by K&L Gates where he outlined some of the critical energy challenges facing America in the coming years, stating that “because of developing countries – particularly China and India – world liquid oil consumption will increase by some 10-12 million barrels per day in the next five to ten years. This means that unless we do something fast, energy prices will continue to rise and become even more unstable in the coming years.”

Thompson continued, “This country is long overdue to get serious about taking control of our economic and fiscal future. Our jobs, economy and very lifestyles rely on access to affordable and abundant energy. Yet this Administration, and every one before it, has not stepped up to the plate to increase our domestic energy supplies. We can truly be energy secure, but that goal will never be reached as long as we continue to put the vast majority of our own resources under lock and key.”