Need for bipartisanship and compromise

16 years ago
ImageBy U.S. Rep. Mike Michaud
(D-Maine)

    On August 19th, I sent a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Minority Leader John Boehner urging cooperation and bipartisanship in the upcoming debate on energy that is expected when Congress reconvenes in early September. With prices substantially higher than last year, Maine families are having a tough time filling their gas tanks and are concerned about this winter’s upcoming heating season.     Because the current administration and administrations of the past have failed to provide our country with a coherent and effective national energy policy, we find ourselves in a costly and difficult situation. There are many entrenched interests in Washington fighting reform, but I encouraged the House leaders to focus on what Americans need: relief from high fuel prices. Now more than ever, Republicans and Democrats need to come together to do what is right for the American people.
    Some important steps have been taken. Congress has passed legislation to suspend shipments to the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to help increase supply. Congress has also passed a law which sets out new fuel economy, building and appliance efficiency standards. And we have started to close the so-called “Enron Loophole,” which allows energy speculators to run up the price of oil with little or no oversight. However, despite these positive efforts, partisan bickering and grandstanding have prevented broader solutions from coming forward. The American people deserve a comprehensive energy policy.
    As we prepare to move forward, I encouraged Boehner and Pelosi to consider all proposals that have been put on the table. One of the most contentious debates has surrounded the issue of domestic production. Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle have differences when it comes to the details, but clearly we must move forward to find consensus. Some have called for legislation that opens some new areas for drilling and which forces oil companies to drill on lands and waters already at their disposal, while others have simply called for a rollback of the moratorium on offshore drilling.
    It is important that we reach a compromise. I recognize that expanded domestic drilling, done in an environmentally-sensitive manner and which protects the American people’s investment in their public lands, could be a part of that compromise. In addition, states like Maine that depend on fishing and tourism as an important part of their economy must have a say in what happens off their coasts.
    Regardless of what specific piece of legislation is brought up, it is important that policymakers be honest with the American people about how additional drilling would affect prices today. According to the administration’s own Department of Energy, if we repeal the moratorium on offshore drilling today, oil and gas production would not begin there until 2017, and the impact on prices before 2030 would be “insignificant.” A dose of honesty in Washington is sorely needed. It’s long past time that exaggerated rhetoric is replaced with action so that we can responsibly plan for our energy future.
    In addition to responsibly increasing domestic energy production, there are other items that I encouraged the Speaker and the Minority Leader to consider for inclusion in any upcoming legislation. These include incentives for energy efficiency technologies and renewable power resource development, including wind, tidal, and cellulosic ethanol. In order to provide relief to Americans today, I advocated for substantial increases in funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program and the Weatherization Assistance Program. I also believe that we should consider releasing oil currently in the SPR to lower prices immediately. We must also break the stalemate on taking additional steps to eliminate manipulation and runaway speculation in the energy markets.
    I have introduced and cosponsored a number of bills which will help Maine’s homeowners and small businesses deal with the challenges of high fuel prices, including a bill that would allow small businesses to apply for disaster loans in the face of high fuel prices. I am hopeful that my call for bipartisanship will be joined by others so that we can consider the many proposals brought forward by Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle. Working together is the only way to move forward and American families deserve nothing less.