| Our economy, perhaps more than any other region of the United States, is feeling the impact of the current energy crisis. Tourism, as well as gaming revenues, are plummeting. Families can no longer afford to drive from Southern California to our state and tourists from the east coast can no longer afford to buy that spontaneous plane ticket to Las Vegas.
It was encouraging that this week the administration finally lifted the ban on energy exploration on the outer continental shelf. As I have made clear many times before this is only part of the solution. I have stated that we need an ‘all of the above’ solution in terms of increasing domestic supplies while simultaneously decreasing demand by increasing renewable energy development and conservation efforts.
During the Fourth of July holiday I spent time in Boulder City listening to the choices families have had to make. With gas at over $4 a gallon, our friends and neighbors are making difficult decisions regarding their household budgets. Energy security is national security, but it is also the family struggling to figure out whether to drive their child to school, the family that is making the difficult decision on whether to fill up the tank or buy more groceries, and the increasing number of families who are having difficulty affording the trip to and from work. We need comprehensive energy reform to help Southern Nevadans and to end America’s dependence on OPEC producing nations.
I urge my colleagues in Congress to act now.
Contact U.S. Congressman Jon Porter at www.house.gov/porter.
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