This Week in Politics    Dear Majority Leader Reid:
   Dear Minority Leader McConnell:
   ...
   Our continued dependence on oil produced through drilling in nations whose interests are inimical to those of the United States and our allies opens our nation to added political and international danger at a time of turmoil and uncertainty, with enormous negative consequences for our economy, foreign policy and national security. It is for that reason that we strongly support changes in U.S. energy policy that would reduce our dependence on oil, in particular foreign oil imported from hostile nations - and particularly urge that any Senate energy bill include the Open Fuel Standard, which has been introduced in the Senate as S.835 with bipartisan support, and which is included in a modified (and less satisfactory) form in the House climate bill (H.R.2454).
   ...
>>> Click HERE to download whole letter. (PDF 54.8KB)<<<

Excerpts from recent Articles

   The United States is by far the world's leading oil importer. Thus, when the price of oil goes up, our economy is severely taxed. At the beginning of 2011, many economists were talking about an emerging U.S. economic recovery. Yet by spring, as oil prices climbed above $100 per barrel, it became apparent to all who were paying attention that no escape from recession was in sight.
   ...

>>> Click HERE to continue reading. <<<

   The United States currently produces 8 percent of the world's liquid fuel but uses 25 percent, making up the difference by importing 5 billion barrels of oil annually. With prices currently near $100 per barrel, this dependency will cost us $500 billion this year, an amount equal to the nation's entire trade deficit. Furthermore, at a time when Congress is seeking to keep taxes light in order to boost job creation, our dependency will impose a tax on our economy equal to 20 percent of what Americans pay the IRS. Except, of course, that these revenues will go to the treasuries of foreign governments instead of our own.
   ...
>>> Click HERE to continue reading. <<<

   In "The Great Corn Con" (Op-Ed, June 25), Steven Rattner claims that United States ethanol production makes food costlier and scarcer, pollutes the environment and drains the treasury. That is not the case.
   While producing 13 billion gallons of ethanol last year, the American biofuels industry also generated 32.5 million metric tons of feed for cattle, pigs and poultry.
   ...
>>> Click HERE to continue reading. <<<

>>> Click HERE download the chart above as a PDF. <<<
>>> Click HERE download the chart above in Excell. <<<
>>> Click HERE download a PDF of print edition. <<<