“Please stand with your colleagues by passing the one bill in Congress that will dramatically increase oil drilling domestically, cut the red tape for building new gasoline refineries and constructing new nuclear power plants, promote coal-to-liquid technologies, and allow exploration for oil shale,” the letter states.

House Republicans need to muster at least 19 votes in order to have enough votes to pass the American Energy Act. The letter was addressed to the following Congressmen:

Mitchell, Harry E., Arizona, 5^th                              Giffords, Gabrielle, Arizona, 8^th

McNerney, Jerry, California, 11^th                        Murphy, Christopher S., Connecticut, 5^th
Mahoney, Tim, Florida, 16^th                                    Marshall, Jim, Georgia, 8^th
Bean, Melissa L., Illinois, 8^th                                    Hill, Baron, Indiana, 9^th
Boyda, Nancy E., Kansas, 2^nd                               Moore, Dennis, Kansas, 3^rd
Yarmuth, John A., Kentucky, 3^rd                                          Cazayoux, Don, Louisiana, 6^th
Walz, Timothy J., Minnesota, 1^st                          Shea-Porter, Carol, New Hampshire, 1^st
Hodes, Paul W., NH, 2^nd                                           Gillibrand, Kirsten E., New York, 20^th
Arcuri, Michael A., New York, 24^th                                      Space, Zachary T., Ohio, 18^th
Altmire, Jason, Pennsylvania, 4^th                        Murphy, Patrick J., Pennsylvania, 8^th
Carney, Christopher P., PA, 10^th                         Kanjorski, Paul E., Pennsylvania, 11^th
Davis, Lincoln, Tennessee, 4^th                               Lampson, Nick, Texas, 22^nd
Rodriguez, Ciro, Texas, 23                             Childers, Travis, Mississippi, 1^st

Foster, Bill, Illinois, 14^th                                   Kagen, Steve, Wisconsin, 8^th

Murphy, Christopher S., Connecticut, 5th

“You have an opportunity to show your constituents and the nation that you are not a mere tool of the radical, ideological left, and that you can act in a commonsense fashion when presented with the facts. Public opinion poll after poll shows widespread support among Americans for lifting government-imposed restrictions on their own energy resources,” wrote Wilson to the 29.

Wilson believes that based on previous election returns, that the 29 representatives listed would stand the best chance of crossing the aisle.

“Frankly, it’s time for these elected officials to put up or shut up,” said Wilson. “All of these men and women are talking about developing American energy back home but so far refuse to take action that would accomplish the goal. The public is tired of the Washington double-talk. It’s time to allow energy production here at home.”

“These are representatives who ought to weigh carefully if they really want to tell their constituents that they oppose increasing energy production,” Wilson added. “Because, there’s certain to be a consequence this year for that.”

Wilson’s action came in response to the release by Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) of a letter from 36 Republican members of the Senate to Senate Leaders Harry Reid (D-NV) and Mitch McConnell (R-KY) calling upon the Senate to allow the current moratoria on off-shore drilling and oil shale exploration to simply expire on October 1st.

According to the DeMint letter, “It is our hope that Democrats and Republicans will stand together to support American Energy Freedom Day on October 1, 2008. On this day, the current prohibitions on oil and gas exploration off the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) and in the oil-shale fields of the West will expire, giving Americans the freedom to access their own energy and providing them with relief from sky-high prices at the pump.”

Wilson followed up that letter with a letter of his own to the 13 reluctant Republican members of the Senate who did not sign on DeMint’s letter. In it, Wilson urges members to “take a stand that will ensure that harmful regulations never again get in the way of the market providing much needed energy supplies to the American people.”

In a statement, Wilson said, “It is important that members of the Senate unite around the proposition that government overregulation is the problem that prevents America from producing more energy, and that’s the reason oil and gasoline costs so much. By lifting restrictions on increasing supply, it’s a win-win for American families struggling to make ends meet.”

Wilson predicted that if Congress does not act now to lift the moratoria as to signal America’s intent to drill for its own oil, their winter’s heating bills may make the current gasoline price crisis seem mild in comparison.

“How are people—already on the edge—going to heat their homes this winter?” he asked. “Congress needs to allow the restrictions on oil, oil shale, and natural gas exploration to expire so that Americans do not need to chop firewood to keep warm in the coming months, or turn their thermostats down to 60 degrees in hopes of financially surviving the winter .”

In his letter to the Senators, Wilson states “The U.S. restrictions on oil production have already had a deleterious impact on prices as the world’s oil supply did not keep up with global demand. America has a strategic interest in assuring adequate supplies for the American people and the economy. The current lack of supply is largely the result of conscious government policy.”

Congress will reconvene after the August recess where it is expected that the Democrat-controlled House and Senate will attempt to reauthorize the current bans on energy exploration and recovery.

“It is up to the Republican members of the Senate to make sure that doesn’t happen,” said Wilson.

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“The Speaker of the House is surrendering to the demands of an angry public, who will no longer tolerate sky-high energy prices. And much of the credit for this turnabout belongs to House lawmakers and the nation’s opinion writers who kept the pressure on the obstructionist House Speaker. This is a tremendous breakthrough, but it does not go far enough,” said Wilson.

“Now, ‘Madame No’ must allow an up-or-down vote on the American Energy Act, which is the most comprehensive solution to the energy crisis,” Wilson said. “The issue is not just about drilling—though that is critical—but it is also about lifting restrictions on building nuclear power plants, gasoline refineries, coal-to-liquid, oil shale exploration, and deregulating the energy sector so that markets may move to meet the ever-increasing demand for energy.”

Pelosi had previously challenged Republicans to “imagine” a way that they might get a vote. But after appearing on CNN with Larry King, a clearly cowed House Speaker openly reversed course, “They have this thing that says drill offshore in the protected areas. We can do that. We can have a vote on that.”

Wilson warned that her latest tactic would come with strings attached, “Americans need to be reminded that the off-shore drilling moratorium expires October 1st. Just like the Gang of 10 legislation in the Senate, I suspect that Speaker Pelosi is attempting to push legislation that would only allow for partial access to the outer-continental shelf. Americans may just be better off just letting the current moratorium expire. But the real objective is to secure an up-or-down vote on the American Energy Act.”

Republican leaders have called upon their Democratic colleagues to join with them in supporting the American Energy Act.

Since the August recess began, Republicans have stayed on the House floor, demanding an up-or-down vote on their proposals. After initially opposing the congressional recess, they remained on the House floor, urging President Bush to call for a special session of Congress to address the ongoing energy crisis.

“The American people will not support a government that scuttles the nation’s resources—our national treasure—at the moment of crisis,” warned Wilson. “Democrats in Congress need to listen carefully to their Republican colleagues’ proposals, because they will open up the markets for more energy. And the greater the energy supply in relation to demand, the more reduced the price will be. That’s what Americans want,” said Wilson.

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