Disappointed in Graves' "Do Nothing" Energy Bill
With gas prices as high as they are, I wasn't surprised to hear Congressman Sam Graves touting his sponsorship of an energy bill recently that he said would help reduce our dependence on foreign oil and lower gas prices. After seven years of protecting government giveaways to big oil companies and voting against renewable energy incentives, it makes sense that Graves would want to give himself some political cover heading into an important election year.
What did surprise me was that his bill - H.R. 5866 - seems designed to accomplish nothing but create more pointless government bureaucracy. The main provision in Graves' bill calls for "an interagency task force" with representatives from 21 government agencies ranging from the Department of Education to the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The Department of Education? After all Graves has said about streamlining bureaucracy, this is his idea for solving our energy crisis? Frankly, it sounds like Sam Graves has been in Washington too long.
Unfortunately, not only is Graves not helping to solve America's energy challenges, he is also a big part of the problem. Congressman Graves still refuses to redirect any subsidies from oil companies to renewable energy sources like wind power and opposes a renewable portfolio standard that would create jobs and income in rural areas like Northwest Missouri.
Missourians don't need another task force full of government bureaucrats. They need a representative with common sense solutions and the courage to stand up to special interests like Big Oil.
Kay Barnes is a candidate for U.S. representative for Missouri's 6th Congressional District
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