Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio) extends his deepest sympathies to the families and friends of those who either lost their lives or were injured during Thursday’s mass shooting at Ft. Hood military base in Texas. Latta calls the tragegy a “disaster.” (:29)
The American Clean Energy and Security Act, an expansive piece of climate change legislation backed by Reps. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Edward Markey (D-Mass.), faces an uphill battle at the hands of House Republicans.
“The proponents of this legislation…have maybe 190 votes. That falls way short of the necessary 218,” said House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) during a press conference Wednesday. “The American people are growing very weary…of the cost and consequences of the democratic agenda in the House.”
House Republicans warned that the bill could eliminate jobs by threatening coal production and pose huge costs.
“This is the largest national energy tax this nation is going to see,” said Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio). “Some people want to call it cap-and-trade but this is cap-and-tax.”
Coffee Brown, University of New Mexico, Talk Radio News Service
Bob Latta responding to Obama’s speech.
Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio) says that once the world sees that United States can reach energy self sustainability, the price of oil will be driven down, much in the way President Bush’s statement regarding offshore drilling has done (:38).
Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio) says that because geological surveys have already been conducted in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), should Congress decide to allow drilling, drilling could begin very quickly with very little environmental impact (:24).
Bob Latta (R-Ohio) says that the United States must incorporate renewable sources in its energy policy if it hopes to reduce its dependence on foreign oil. Latta also says that about 70 percent of our nation’s oil comes from overseas (:27).
“I think if Congress would come in here and finish the deal on this thing and say we can drill both onshore and offshore, [...] I think you’d see a collapse of oil prices,” said Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio) in an exclusive interview with Talk Radio News. Latta discussed issues relating to America’s increased energy prices, and what he feels would be the best course of action.
“It’s not just about oil, we need to have a strategic plan for nuclear, for clean coal technology. It’s not just saying we’re going to drill”, he continued. “We need an across-the-board [...] debate on the total energy policy in this nation”. When asked about the role renewable sources of energy should play in US energy policy, Latta said all of the options need to work together. He goes on to say that each individual option, including renewables, may not produce enough energy to meet the base-load needs of the United States. However, together he feels they can help substantially reduce the amount of oil the US is forced to import from other nations.
Today on the floor of the House of Representatives, Latta stated that he believes it could take years for a solution to have a big impact on our dependence on foreign oil. In light of this comment, when asked what he would say to the families and businesses in America struggling because of energy prices, Latta said he would tell them that they could expect energy commodity prices to drop as soon as comprehensive energy policy is passed. He also believes that as soon as Congress begins to say that it plans to take steps to solve America’s energy dependence, we can expect to see energy prices decline.
“I wish the Democrats were here”, said Rep. John Kline during a speech today on the floor of the House of Representatives, in which he expressed his desire for the Democrats to return to Congress for a vote on energy legislation. He and other Republican members of the House continued their call for Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) to call an emergency session of Congress.
Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH) agreed with Kline, though also pointing out that any new endeavors to procure new energy can take a considerable amount of time. However, he remained confident that the United States could see a substantial change in oil prices in less than ten years. He compared the quest for new sources of energy to the lengthy construction time of the United States Capitol.
Last night on CNN Speaker Pelosi said she was open to a vote on energy legislation containing offshore drilling. However, some Republican speakers expressed concern that Speaker Pelosi would not follow through on her commitment.
House Republicans held a press conference to discuss their trip to Alaska and Colorado on the American Energy Tour. House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) noted that oil production in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska has declined, chastising Democrats for standing in the way of Congressional progress on energy issues. According to Boehner, Republicans embrace a holistic energy strategy that includes drilling, conservation, and increasing the development of oil alternatives. (more…)
Rep. Bob Latta (R-Ohio) says Congress needs to increase domestic production of oil, a move supported by majority of Americans. (0:30)
