Solutions

Congressman John Kline had an Op-Ed in yesterdays Star Tribune that speaks to many of the struggles that Minnesotans are facing in the current economy and what the House Leadership promised to do to address these issues...

Like most Americans, Minnesotans have had enough. They've become increasingly frustrated with the skyrocketing costs of everyday items such as food, household products and gasoline.

Just 16 months ago, Nancy Pelosi accepted the gavel from John Boehner at a historic moment in our nation. She and the new majority in the U.S. House of Representatives were ushered into leadership bolstered by a repeated promise for change that included a "common-sense plan" to lower gas prices.

...and what they have done to fix these problems...

Rather than seize the opportunity, the majority leadership squandered it, and you are paying the consequences for their broken promises by the gallon every time you pull up to the pump. In January 2007, the average cost of gas in Minnesota was $2.14 per gallon -- already too high. Sixteen months later, Congress has seen no "common-sense plan," and the average price of gas in the Twin Cities earlier this week was $3.64 per gallon. Meanwhile, the only solution offered by the majority leadership was House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell's plan for a 50-cent tax hike on every gallon.

...and what should be happening to solve the problems...

There should be debate on the House floor to find ways to reduce our dependence on Middle East oil and develop long-term energy alternatives.

Some say America has an addiction to oil. What is abundantly clear is our addiction to foreign oil, which is not only an economic issue but also a national-security concern. Congress should examine ways to increase domestic production, explore long-term energy solutions and advance a real energy plan that increases American supplies in all forms:

•Congress should consider opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to environmentally safe production and increasing offshore drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf. Clearly, drilling for oil in Alaska or in the Gulf of Mexico is not a short-term solution, but if we continue down this course of inaction, we may still be discussing plans for rising energy costs when gas reaches, say, $8 per gallon. The Chinese are drilling for oil on the Outer Shelf because it is off the coast of Cuba. Yet, lawmakers -- Republicans and Democrats -- in Florida and California are standing in our way, blocking any efforts for the United States to drill on the shelf some 100 to 230 miles off our coasts.

•We should build new oil refineries. While production at our existing refineries continues to rise, we have seen no new refinery construction in 30 years.

•Clean-coal technology is another exciting energy resource that we must continue to explore; we have the domestic coal reserves to power our economy for generations.

•Renewable energies like wind and solar also should be part of the equation, along with nuclear energy, which is the top source of emission-free electricity.

Congressman Kline has long been a voice of reason and fiscal responsibility in the House. His recent Club for Growth ranking of nineteen (3 behind Congresswoman Michele Bachman and 82 ahead of that paragon of fiscal conservatism, Congressman Ron Paul) is just one more reason why his constituents have sent him back to DC as often as they have.

Congressman Kline understands how tight the voters budgets are right now and is working to provide ways to ease the crunch. We need a dozen more like him.