This is his response:
Dear Robert,So the answer is, well it wouldn't have saved you any money, so why bother? Oh and because we can't learn from past mistakes, let's go ahead and drill and mine for more non sustainable power sources as a short term stop gap that will generate a couple of jobs now at the expense of our environment and long term growth.
Thank you for contacting me to express your concerns regarding the rising cost of gasoline. It is good to hear from you, and I share your concerns.
Like many Ohioans, I am greatly troubled by rising gasoline prices because they will hurt the economy at a time when it is showing signs of improving, and because high prices impact modest income families and the elderly the hardest. Because oil fuels every major sector of our economy, rising prices impact all of us. As the cost of shipping and producing goods increases, we will find ourselves paying more for everything from groceries to electronics.
Oil prices are on the rise for a host of reasons. As the global economy slowly recovers, demand for oil is rising to meet new manufacturing and other needs. Unrest in the Middle East and North Africa has injected uncertainty into the energy markets.
We need to move aggressively to get away from our dependence on foreign oil and this must include using more of our own resources. For decades, Washington, D.C. has been unwilling to tap the energy resources in our own backyard. This policy simply makes no sense in the world's largest oil-consuming nation. The United States today consumes about 22 percent of the world's oil supply — much of it from countries hostile to American interests and ideals. Last year alone, we spent $337 billion on oil imports, more than half of what we spent on our nation's defense, and we have not been self-sufficient in energy production since 1970.
We need common-sense solutions to strengthen U.S. energy production. That begins with harnessing the potential of our own natural resources in an environmentally responsible way. We should increase access for oil exploration and production in energy-rich areas of the country like the Outer Continental Shelf, and in parts of Alaska. This will create jobs, drive investment, and move us down the path of reducing our dangerous dependence on foreign oil.
As you may know, I voted against S.940 because it would not have helped reduce gas prices or reduce the deficit. S.940 would repeal or limit five tax provisions for the five largest U.S.-based integrated oil and gas companies. I support reforming the corporate tax system to provide lower rates with fewer deductions and credits and would be happy to reconsider these provisions in that context.
I voted for S.953, the Offshore Production and Safety Act of 2011, because S.953 would expand offshore domestic oil and gas production, improve the safety and reliability of offshore energy production, and ensure that offshore drilling permits are issued in a timely manner. S.953 would direct the Secretary of the Interior to conduct previously scheduled offshore lease sales in the Western and Central Gulf of Mexico, Virginia Outer Continental Shelf, and Alaska Outer Continental Shelf. S.953 would also extend lease terms by one year for Gulf oil and gas leases which were suspended under the 2010 offshore moratorium.
Ohio has a long history of producing its own energy sources, with an oil, gas, and coal business that pre-dates the Civil War. Today, Ohio is preparing for a natural gas "shale revolution" – a new means of tapping energy-rich underground rock formations. Considering the potential of the Marcellus and Utica Shale Formations, we have the possibility of creating good Ohio jobs while providing Ohioans with access to large quantities of cleaner-burning natural gas that can be used today for buses, taxis and could be used for cars in the future.
America has the know-how and the natural abundance to move toward a future of energy independence. But we must make the right choices today. It is time to unleash the ingenuity of our workforce and the potential of our energy resources to power the American economy and create new jobs — with Ohio leading the way.
Thank you for taking the time to contact my office. For more information, I encourage you to visit my website at www.portman.senate.gov. Please keep in touch.
Sincerely, Rob Portman
U.S. Senator
This kind of thinking makes me sick. More of the same ol' same ol' answers. It's the kind of thinking that has us turning down federal subsidies to install high speed rail, because 400 million is wasteful spending, but giving oil companies 24 billion will that's just chump change that wouldn't have made a difference.
Wake up people.
