Republicans Continue Coordinated Messaging Blitz to Press Obama Administration on Soaring Gas Prices

House Republicans will continue their coordinated messaging blitz to hold the Obama administration accountable for blocking American energy production and driving up gas prices, The Hill reports and they have plenty to talk about.  While President Obama and Senate Democrats have focused their efforts in recent weeks on increasing taxes and rolling out more red tape on American energy producers, House Republicans have been working to address rising gas prices that are hurting American families and small businesses.  Heres a snapshot of what Republicans did in the last week alone to help relieve the pain at the pump:

• Challenging President Obama to Call on Senate Democrats to Quit Blocking House-Passed Energy Bills.  Delivering the Weekly Republican Address on Saturday, Speaker Boehner challenged President Obama to call on Senate Democrats to act on bipartisan, House-passed legislation that remove barriers to American energy production to help address rising gas prices and create jobs.  As Speaker Boehner noted, several of these bills have been backed by the president’s own jobs council, but remain stalled in the Democratic-controlled Senate. 

• Introducing New Legislation to Expand Energy Production & Rein in Regulations on Energy Producers. On Wednesday, the House Energy & Commerce Committee held a hearing on two newly-introduced American Energy Initiative bills – the Gasoline Regulations Act aimed at stopping government red tape that drives up energy prices, and the Strategic Energy Production Act, legislation ensuring the Obama administration does not tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserve without taking steps to increase American energy production.   Experts at the hearing confirmed that the legislation would provide valuable information concerning the real-world cumulative impact of regulations affecting a vital sector of our nations economy: the production of gasoline and diesel, and boost economic growth to help create more American jobs.

• Unveiling the Next Phase of the American Energy Initiative.  Also on Wednesday, House Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and other members of the House Energy Action Team (HEAT) released a video marking the next phase of the American Energy Initiative.  The video highlights the glaring discrepancy between President Obamas rhetorical support for Republicans all of the above energy policy, and his none-of-the-above record of thwartingAmerican energy production and rolling out more red tape on power producers.

• Passing a Budget that Unlocks American Energy on Federal Land.  On Thursday, the House-passed Republicans Path to Prosperity budget calling for more American energy exploration and development on federal land to help address gas prices and provide new revenues through bonus bids, rents, royalties, and fees, according to the House Budget Committee.  The House-passed budget also prevents the Obama administrations attempt to hike up taxes on American energy producers, which the non-partisan Congressional Research Service says will make energy more expensive, and implements a real all-of-the-above energy strategy by ending the administrations policy of picking winners and losers amongst American energy producers. 

• Holding the Obama Administration Accountable for Its Failed Solyndra-Style Energy Grants.  On Thursday,Speaker Boehner called on the Obama administration to provide the information requested by the House Energy & Commerce Committee showing what taxpayers got for the $10 billion spent on the Departments stimulus-funded Section 1603 Solyndra-style grants.  While the Obama administration says the grant program created thousands of American jobs, Speaker Boehner noted that theres no evidence to support that claim.

• Taking the Obama Administration to Task for Excessive Red Tape on Coal-Fired Energy Producers.  Last week, the Obama administration announced new regulations on coal-fired energy producers that will cause a dramatic increases in electricity prices and the devastation of coal-generated power industry, as an editorial in theOrange County Register puts it.  House Republicans blasted the administrations actions at an Energy & Power Subcommittee hearing, noting that the administrations action is yet another example that the president’s promise of an all of the above energy strategy rings hollow, putting both jobs and affordable, reliable energy at risk. 

House Republicans will continue their coordinated effort in the weeks ahead, the New York Times reports, including twoHouse Energy & Commerce Committee events in Montana and Arkansas to highlight party support for the Keystone XL pipeline.  You can follow the action on the Speaker’s blog, and by liking the American Energy Initiative on Facebook.