Mount Vernon News

MOUNT VERNON — Congress adjourned Friday for a five-week recess without voting on legislation that would help curb rising energy prices, which, according to Ohio Sen. George Voinovich, are becoming a matter of national security.

“There are some things coming together that should be disturbing to everyone,” said Voinovich Thursday in a conference call with reporters. “There are folks in Ohio, and around the country, whose standard of living is changing because of high gasoline prices.”

Rising energy costs have helped drive up the cost of food for consumers, and caused speculation in the markets. In addition, said Voinovich, the Office of Management and Budget recently announced the deficit this year will be $480 billion.

“That doesn’t include $200 billion we’ve borrowed from the trust fund,” said Voinovich, adding that legislators are looking at fixing the alternative minimum tax, which will add another $60 billion. “So the deficit this year will be about $750 billion. Our national debt at the end of the year will probably be $10 trillion.

“In addition,” he said, “we’re taking $600 billion and sending it overseas, in many instances to people who don’t like us, including Venezuela. In effect, these people control the price of something that is essential to our economy.”

At the same time, he said, the countries who control the oil, also have loaned the United States money, so they now also control the U.S. debt.

“Since 2001, we have seen 70 percent of our [national] debt picked up by China, Japan and the OPEC nations,” he said. “So from a national security point of view, folks, we are in real jeopardy.”

According to Voinovich, the odds of a foreign oil disruption over the next 10 years is slightly higher than 80 percent. If global production was reduced by 2.1 percent, said Voinovich, that would have more of an effect than did Hurricane Katrina or 9/11.

Eighty percent of the oil trade routes are through volatile nations such as Iran and Iraq; 40 percent of those routes go through the Strait of Hormuz, the only sea passage to the open ocean for oil-exporting countries from the Persian Gulf.

What the country needs to do, said Voinovich, is to “recognize where we’re vulnerable.”

“There is no reason why this country can’t become the least reliant on foreign oil,” he said. “... We need to take advantage of the resources we have currently before us.”

He was referring to oil reserves in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve and the outer continental shelf. Republicans have advocated oil drilling in those areas, which are currently off limits.

“We have 800 billion barrels of oil ... out in the west today, but we are not even able to pass regulations to go after it,” he said. “In my opinion, if this country really made up its mind to go after all of the stuff that we can go after ... we’d be at the top of the barrel rather than the bottom of the barrel.

“I think if the rest of the world knew we had a policy of going after what we have ... it would send a ripple around the world,” he added.

As a result, he said, this would curb some of the speculation in the market.

Although Voinovich said the American people are doing a better job of lessening the demand for oil, he said a comprehensive energy policy also includes conservation, finding more oil and a long-term commitment to funding.

“We’ve not harmonized the economy, environment and energy policies,” he said. “Just as we need a full court press dealing with oil in this country, we need to put that same commitment toward wind, solar, nuclear, clean coal and natural gas.”

As for Congressional leaders going home, Voinovich said he hopes “all hell breaks loose,” with constituents talking to their representatives about taking action on energy policies rather than remaining at an impasse.

Referring to procedures by which energy legislation has been brought to the floor of the House and Senate — procedures which required super majorities to pass and which blocked Republicans from forcing a vote on opening new areas to oil drilling — Voinovich said, “our representatives have a right to represent their constituencies, but at least have the debate. What’s wrong with having a debate?”