07/31/08 - Washington, D.C.
Sen. Alexander
Says, "Drill Here, Drill Now"
By: Brad
Douglass
There's no question Americans are struggling with their
family budgets as fuel prices continue to hover just
below $4 a gallon, how to best find relief is being
debated on Capitol Hill.
Both Democrats and Republicans are in a showdown on a bill that would allow off-shore drilling.
Republican Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, who like many of his fellow Republicans is in favor of efforts to drill off-shore. He says the issue of high gas prices is hurting Tennesseeans and will likely be the key issue in the upcoming presidential election. "I read emails and letters from Tennesseeans who are telling me they're hurting," says Alexander in a satellite interview from Washington Thursday.
"From a marine who comes home after 18 months and finds he can't afford a vacation with his wife and baby. Alexander points to another letter he received..."A mom who's losing her job because she can't afford the commute of driving to work."
Both Democrats and Republicans are in a showdown on a bill that would allow off-shore drilling.
Republican Tennessee Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee, who like many of his fellow Republicans is in favor of efforts to drill off-shore. He says the issue of high gas prices is hurting Tennesseeans and will likely be the key issue in the upcoming presidential election. "I read emails and letters from Tennesseeans who are telling me they're hurting," says Alexander in a satellite interview from Washington Thursday.
"From a marine who comes home after 18 months and finds he can't afford a vacation with his wife and baby. Alexander points to another letter he received..."A mom who's losing her job because she can't afford the commute of driving to work."
Of the
high prices Alexander says, "There's no excuse for
it." Senator Alexander along with his colleagues in
Washington are ticking down to a summer recess set to
begin at the end of the day Friday.
Many on both side of the aisle say it's unlikely anything will be done on an bill to open up domestic off-shore oil drilling as
Many on both side of the aisle say it's unlikely anything will be done on an bill to open up domestic off-shore oil drilling as
the summer winds down. "The
problem," Alexander says, "is with the Democratic
leadership in the Senate..simply does not want to bring
up any legislation that produces more American energy."
Democrats say oil
companies already have leases for areas many experts say
contains huge amounts of oil and add they should be used
first instead of drilling off shore.
On the subject of
drilling off-shore Alexander says, 'It just makes
sense...We've got a lot of it (oil) and a lot of gas
that we ought to be drilling for it on our own land".
Congress adjourns for the summer recess Friday.
Congress adjourns for the summer recess Friday.