• Democrats want to take your money and then give it back to you so that you can buy gas and heating oil. They are deliberately blocking oil drilling to keep gas and energy prices high.
   
• Republicans want to drill for more oil in order to make gas and heating oil cheaper. 

   
• The Republican program promotes your freedom.  The Democrat program promotes your servitude to the Democrats.

   
• When you fill your gas tank and see the pump spinning past $50, think this:  The Democrats are blocking our ability to drill for more oil.

Background

What have the Democrats done to promote more oil and cheaper gas?  Blocked drilling on the OCS.  Blocked drilling in ANWR.  Blocked development of oil shale.  Promoted windfall profits on our private oil companies so they cannot compete with huge foreign state owned oil companies.  They are actively destroying attempts to produce more supply through their policies and programs.  Result:  Everything costs more due to the centrality of oil to our economy.  Gasoline and diesel cost $3.50 or more at the pump.  Industries dependent on high energy consumption like the travel, trucking, air lines, and heavy manufacturing are seeing permanent destruction to their businesses.  Small businesses and large companies are forced to lay off employees because of to a reduction of revenue and an increase in expenses due to escalating energy costs.

The United States economy is heavily dependent on energy. It is imperative that the US government not stand in the way of our ability to produce affordable energy to run our industries, our infrastructure assets, our commercial and residential real estate assets, and our individual and corporate transportation systems. I noticed on your website that a component of your long term vision is to "Lower energy prices, create hundreds of thousands of new 'green' jobs, provide incentives for clean, renewable energy and fight potential energy price gouging and price fixing by OPEC". I believe that your long term goal to lower energy prices is commendable but I believe that we need some short term relief right now from the escalation of energy prices. The goal of new "green jobs" is a good one also but many of your constituents in the airline industry, the travel industry, the automobile industry, and the trucking industry are quite concerned about the jobs that they have right now. The high price of all types of transportation fuel is causing increasing layoffs and business failures. Many working class folks are unable to even afford getting to work. I'm all for development of alternative, clean, renewable energy sources but that is a long term vision that will not affect our energy problems for some time to come.

What we need from you and the Congress is an energy policy that includes alternatives like solar, wind, nuclear, geothermal, clean coal and coal to liquids, and also increased domestic oil production. I keep hearing from your caucus that we cannot drill our way out of our energy problems. That argument disregards what I have already said about a comprehensive policy. The production of domestic oil through drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf, ANWR, oil shale in Colorado and other western states, and the eastern Gulf of Mexico is our energy bridge to a future of renewable energy and nuclear energy. Without the drilling, our economy will go into a tail spin. You say on your website that you have "...been working in Washington to make certain the economic challenges facing ordinary people aren’t forgotten." This is your opportunity to put your statement into action. The poor and the working class are hit the hardest by high energy prices. Poor folks spend upwards of 50% of their income on energy. A doubling of prices is devastating to their budgets and their ability to survive. You can do something about that right now.

Twenty-five days ago President Bush lifted the executive ban on Outer Continental Shelf, ANWR, and other oil production. Up to this date Congress has done nothing to lift the Congressional ban on such drilling. In fact neither house of Congress will even allow an up or down vote on such drilling due to the obstruction of Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Reid. I am personally unhappy that the Congress went on vacation for five weeks without taking a vote on this vital issue. A growing number of members of the House of Representatives has called for Speaker Pelosi to reconvene the House for the purpose of allowing a vote on increasing American-made energy. Human misery is not acceptable when we have the resources in the ground to enable a smooth transition to sustainable energy. I urge you to take a courageous stand apart from the obstructionists in your party for the people of Missouri and the people of the United States. Take a step toward the liftng of the ban on drilling by calling on the Speaker to reconvene Congress for a vote on a comprehensive energy plan. This could be the most important vote you ever make for our economy and our national security.

It has now been 24 days since President Bush released the ban on Outer Continental Shelf, ANWR, and other drilling and production of oil.  How many more companies will have to be shuttered, how many jobs lost, and how much pain will it take until the Democrats of Reid, Pelosi, and Sherrod Brown say no to enviromania and yes to the American people?  The days of vacation for no-drill Democrats must end or we must put them on a permanent vacation in November.

Gentlemen: Thank you for taking a stand for your country. This issue is one that crosses all economic and cultural boundaries. It is an issue that will have profound consequences on all aspects of the security of our nation. It is an issue than can have a ground shaking effect on the political landscape if you are steadfast in your efforts.

President Bush led this effort 3 weeks ago by removing the executive order banning drilling on the OCS, ANWR, and other locations. In the 3 weeks since the Democrat leaders of Congress in the Senate and in the House have poked their finger into the eyes of the citizens of this country by ignoring their desire for drilling. They have done absolutely nothing to ease the pain of sky high energy prices. The economy is quaking and they do nothing. The travel industry, automobile industry, trucking industry, and other energy intensive industries are under severe economic stress and the Democrats do nothing. Poor and working Americans find their family budgets and jobs under assault and worry how they are going to pay their heating transportation, shelter and even their food bills this winter, and the Democrats do nothing. Tomorrow will be 22 days since the President did his part and the Democrats are on vacation. How many more days will the American people have to wait for the Democrat leadership to act. Every day that they are on vacation is one day closer to the day of a personal tragedy for an American citizen that might have been avoided. It may be a lost job by an autoworker or airline employee. It may be an American in the northeast whose electricity is cut off for non-payment. It may be a young girl who has to drop out of college because of the strain on her family’s budget. But for the Democrat leadership their spurious explanations and political posturing not to mention their vacations are more important than representing the people who elected them to office. This is irresponsible and borders on malfeasance.

Please do not compromise with Senator Reid on the offshore drilling ban. His most likely action will be to allow a little drilling here or there with obstructive restrictions that will allow either a little bit of exploration and no drilling or exploration with the necessity for congressional approval for production later.  Some Senators are attempting to craft compromise packages that will open certain offshore areas on the Alaskan North Slope or offshore Alaska.  I have also heard of allowing "study" of offshore drilling in certain places which is just a way of delaying production.  All of these piecemeal tactics are a sham and will be rescinded as soon as the Democrats have the opportunity to do so. Our nation needs a complete removal of the offshore drilling moratorium akin to the lead of President Bush 15 days ago, and we need it now. 

Senator Reid has, in the past, shown himself to be untrustworthy with his promises and later obstruction of judicial nominees. He reminds me of Lucy holding the football for Charlie Brown. He will without a doubt yank the football away just as you are about to kick it. You have them over the barrel and their tactics on this energy policy will sink them in November if they continue down the path they are on. Make them bend to the will of the American people or let them sink.

The moratorium on drilling is a war on poor and working class people who are losing their jobs and who will not have the money to pay their heating, gasoline, and food bills this winter. This could be a defining moment for the Republican Party and you as a leader have the opportunity to stand up and be the champion of those who are in need. I pray that the Lord will give you strength for this task. God bless you and your colleagues.

Sincerely,

Joe Stephens