Sen. Murkowski: 'All of the Above' Should Be More Than Rhetoric
Greater Supply is Not a 'Political Opportunity' but a Legislative Imperative
WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, went to the Senate floor today to speak about the importance of a rational energy policy, including serious steps to increase domestic oil production, and to respond to President Obama’s comments on high energy prices.
“It was a step forward for the President to embrace Republicans’ long-standing calls for an ‘all of the above’ energy policy. But those remain words, not actions, on his part. And if today’s speech is any indication, he does not intend to help turn our ‘all of the above’ policy into a reality,” Murkowski said. “The President is choosing partisanship over problem solving, and choosing to denigrate Republicans with false charges instead of working with us to make genuine progress.”
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Murkowski spoke about three specific areas where greater supply is possible: through the approval of the Keystone XL pipeline from Canada, expanded offshore drilling, and access to federal lands in Alaska. Contrary to assertions that demand-side policies are missing from U.S. energy policies, it is actually the United States’ tremendous opportunities to increase supply that are being ignored. She pointed out acknowledgements from administration officials – made just yesterday during Senate hearings – that the U.S. does not have enough oil supply and that production on federal lands is actually falling.
“When I hear the rhetoric about ‘all of the above,’ about all the drilling occurring, about a new energy horizon, I ask – where’s the action? Words have no credibility if they aren’t matched by action, and for too long, the actions have opposed the rhetoric,” Murkowski said.
Murkowski is the top Republican on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. The full text of her floor speech as prepared for delivery is attached.
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