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My Message to Democrats:
Listen to the People and Make This 4th of July Energy Independence Day
By Newt Gingrich
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** WELCOME! ** HUMAN EVENTS is pleased to deliver Newt Gingrich's Winning the
Future newsletter to you each Tuesday.
Newt Gingrich, author of the Contract with America, which did deliver real change, says it doesn't
have to be this way -- and in his new bestseller, Real Change: From the World That Fails to the World That Works,
Gingrich shows how America can achieve the transformational change that
will reform a government of bureaucratic failure into one that can meet
the challenges of the 21st century.
As a new Winning the Future subscriber, you can get a FREE copy of Newt's New
York Times bestselling book Real Change.
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This week I want to do something a little different.
Although my Winning the Future message has always been directed at
all Americans, whether they consider themselves Republicans, Democrats,
or
independents, today I am directing my message specifically to
Democrats. And my message is this:
The American people have spoken. Are your leaders listening?
Over 1.1 Million
Americans Call on Congress to "Drill Here, Drill Now"
We really had no idea, just 35 days ago when we first posted the "Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less" petition here, that we would provide the spark
that has ignited a fire among frustrated, struggling Americans.
In just 35 days, over 1.1 million Americans have signed the
petition. Seven hundred and fifty thousand signed in just three weeks.
Almost
100,000 signed up in a single day.
Americans of all political parties have signed the "Drill Here, Drill Now" petition. Here's what they're saying:
The 1.1 million Americans who have signed the petition are appealing
to Congress to allow environmentally responsible ways to produce more
energy
here, at home.
They're not calling for higher taxes on oil companies.
They're not blaming foreigners for our energy problems.
They're not begging the Saudis to sell us more oil.
And so my message to
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... the party that controls Congress is this:
The American people have spoken. Are you listening?
New Poll Shows 74
Percent of Americans Support Offshore Drilling
Through our polling at American Solutions we have long known that a
whopping 81 percent of Americans support developing more domestic
energy,
including oil and coal. And this 81 percent majority is made up of 85
percent of the Republicans, 83 percent of the independents and 76 percent
of the Democrats surveyed.
Now we have even more data showing widespread support for increasing domestic energy production.
A new Rasmussen Poll has
revealed that a full 67 percent of Americans support offshore drilling.
What is the party breakdown behind these numbers? The supporters
were 85 percent Republican, 57 percent Democrat and 60 percent
unaffiliated
voters.
Moreover, a new Zogby poll
shows
that 74 percent of Americans support drilling offshore for our American
oil. The supporters were 90 percent Republican, 58 percent Democrat,
and 75
percent independent voters. A related survey by Zogby also shows that
59 percent of Americans support drilling in ANWR.
In other words, the American people have spoken. Are you listening Democrats?
175 Members of
Congress Have Pledged to Increase U.S. Oil Production. Only One Is a Democrat.
As usual, the American people know intuitively what Washington just
doesn't understand: You don't have to be a Republican to be struggling
to put
gas in your car. Democratic and independent families, commuters and
small business owners are hurting too.
So why haven't Democrats in Congress responded? Rep. Lynn
Westmoreland (R.-Ga.) is circulating a petition challenging his House
colleagues to
pledge to ''vote to increase U.S. oil production to lower gas prices
for Americans.'' As of this writing, 175 members of Congress have signed.
Only one, Neal Abercrombie of Hawaii, is a Democrat.
Drilling opponents
support more drilling so long as there is no oil
Perhaps some Democrats have been reluctant to sign on because of two popular talking points making the rounds.
These opponents say that oil and gas companies already hold 68
million acres of federal land (offshore and land combined) that they
are not using
to produce oil and gas. They also say it would take 10 years before any
of that oil makes it into our gas tanks.
Just this weekend on Meet the Press, Sen. Joe Biden (D.-Del.) said,
"They [the oil companies] have now leased 41 million acres of offshore
leases. They're only pumping in 10.2 million of those acres. . . . And
John [McCain] says they need more? And it would take 10 years for it to
come
online."
There are a number of problems with these arguments.
First, when federal waters or lands are leased to energy companies,
the first step is to explore for oil - in other words, look for it.
Most of
the acres leased for oil end up being determined to not hold enough oil
or gas to make it profitable for energy companies to actually extract
it. So
the vast majority of those 68 million acres are not being used for a
simple reason: they're currently unusable.
Given this fact, it's obvious that citing the amount of currently
unused leased land is a ruse. It allows opponents of using American oil
to seem
as if they actually support it, when in truth they only support more
drilling in areas where there is not enough oil to make it worthwhile
to drill. In other words, they actually don't support using our
American oil to lower gas prices.
Either it is a ruse, or it is a testament to the profound arrogance
of the Washington elite that they believe they understand the business
of oil
production better than American oil companies.
Drill here, drill
now, pay less ... in the short term and long term
Lastly, even if we were to accept the estimate of 10 years to get
American oil into our gas tank (if America made it a priority to
quickly extract
our oil I'm confident we could find a way to speed up the process),
there is good reason to believe the short-term affect on oil prices
would be
significant.
While estimates range on the degree to which oil futures trading is
affecting the price of oil, there is broad consensus that it is playing
a
role. The very act of opening America's vast oil deposits for
extraction would send an immediate signal to speculators that supply
will be
increased, and that betting on higher prices for oil is no longer a
safe investment. Prices will fall as a result.
Also, beginning the process of drilling for our American oil would
allow us the freedom to empty part of the strategic oil reserve into
the market
on the promise it will be replenished by these future American sources.
This immediate increase in the supply of oil would cause a decrease in
price.
Make This July 4th
Energy Independence Day
Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, if your leaders aren't
listening to the clear, expressed will of the people then you have it
in your
power to change this, to send the message to Washington that this July
4th will be unlike other July 4ths.
This Independence Day we declare our energy independence. And we give our elected officials this choice:
Either take action to drill here and drill now for American oil or the American people will take action this fall.
What You Can Do NOW
to Send a Message to Washington
Here's what you can do:
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If your Representative hasn't signed the Westmoreland petition, contact him or her here and make your
voice heard. |
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If you haven't signed the "Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less" petition, click here and do so today. Our goal
is to have three million signatures in time for the Republican and Democratic national conventions. |
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When your House member is back in the district for the Fourth of July holiday, take the opportunity to personally let him or her
know that Americans don't need to be suffering under $4-plus gas and that he has a responsibility to do something about it. |
Senator McCain
Proposes a $300 Million Prize for a "Super" Car Battery
One of the solutions we've proposed at American Solutions for
reducing our dependence on foreign oil and producing more American
energy is
offering prizes for innovative answers to our energy needs.
When you think about it, prizes are the essence of the American way.
Rather than bloated, bureaucratic government programs that are black
holes
for tax dollars, prizes unleash the creative, entrepreneurial spirit
that built this country.
That's why I am so pleased to see that Sen. John McCain has proposed
a $300 million prize for the individual who can develop a "super" car
battery
that can power cars more cheaply and with less harm to the environment.
Congratulations to Sen. McCain for his faith in the ingenuity of the
American people. Sen. Obama should join him in passing legislation to
create this prize now. This is an idea whose time has come.
A Life Transformed By
United Cerebral Palsy
Finally, today I want to mention a remarkable organization that is doing remarkable things for people with disabilities.
This past Thursday, I had the privilege to speak to the leadership of a wonderful organization and member of
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... the Center for Health Transformation, United Cerebral Palsy. UCP
may be one of the most effective organizations you've never heard of.
Through their network of affiliates, they provide care to more than
30,000 people with disabilities each day. They approach their work with
energy,
wisdom and tremendous creativity.
To give you a sense for how this truly 21st century organization
operates, their CEO, Steve Bennett, spent several weeks this past
November in
briefings across Silicon Valley to understand where technology is
heading and how it can be put to use immediately to transform the lives
of the 54
million Americans with disabilities. This is exactly the approach we
need throughout our health system. Click here to learn more about this
organization and how you can help.
One example of the wonderful results UCP and its affiliates can
deliver is a remarkable girl named Gina. When Gina was just 2 years old
she was
diagnosed with autism. She did not really start speaking any words
until after age 3. Last Thursday, at the age of 6, she sang the
National Anthem
as beautifully as I've ever heard it sung. You owe it to yourself to read her story here, and if you are
planning an event you couldn't find a better person to open it with the National Anthem.
Your friend,
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Newt Gingrich
P.S. -- Callista and I were very pleased to see this announcement that our film, "Rediscovering God in America"
will be shown at the Carpenter's Workshop Fellowship in Seven Valleys, Pa., on July 2. If your church or
organization would like to show our film as well, click here to learn how.
Platform of the American People Progress Report
Each of these leaders signed the petition for the Platform's most prominent plank: "Drill Here, Drill Now, Pay Less." Click here to see which leaders in
your state have signed!
U.S. Representative Chris Cannon (R.-Utah)
U.S. Representative Mike Conaway (R.-Texas)
U.S. Representative John Boozman (R.-Ariz.)
State House Minority Leader, Brian King Dist. 91 (R.-Ariz.)
State Representative Chris Saxman Dist. 20 (R.-Va.)
Mayor of Herndon, Va., Stephen DeBenedittis
HAVE YOU SIGNED? Join the Drill
Here, Drill Now Pay Less Campaign, and get involved with the entire movement for the Platform of the American People!
Contact: Princella Smith info@americansolutions.com
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Leading the Majority - Winning the Future's Talk Radio Show
Friday at 2:00 PM ET on RighTalk.com after Paul Weyrich's "The Right Hour."
Last week, Rick and guest-host Michelle Selesky welcomed Glenn Vawter, Executive Director of the National Oil Shale Association.
Mr.
Vawter discussed the resurgence in oil shale development and how we can
responsibly reduce petroleum imports and increase our nation's energy
and
national security.
Rick and Michelle were also joined by Jon Gordon, speaker, consultant and author of the new book, The No Complaining Rule: Positive Ways to
deal with Negativity at Work. Jon talked about how this rule applies to politics in 2008 and how our nation can achieve real change by focusing
on positive solutions.
[Click here to listen.]
Rick Tyler is Newt's spokesman and Vince Haley directs Newt's policy research.