WASHINGTON (March 12, 2012) – Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.), top Democrat on the Natural Resources Committee and senior member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, issued the following statement upon release of the one-year progress report of the Obama administration’s “Blueprint for a Secure Energy Future”.
 
“Today’s release by the Obama administration of its progress report for securing America’s energy future shows that the President has put in place an ‘All of the Above’ American energy plan that has put us on a path to freeing our nation from the grip of the OPEC oil cartel.  Increased domestic oil and gas production, historic new fuel economy standards, coupled with expanded renewable energy generation and improved energy efficiency represents a vision that strikes fear in hearts of the OPEC oil cartel and the Big Oil companies who want to keep us addicted to high-priced oil.
 
“In contrast, Republican leaders in Washington are pursuing an ‘Oil Above All’ scheme that preserves $4 billion in annual tax breaks for the Big Oil companies, slashes funding for solar, wind and other renewable energy, and promotes exports of oil and natural gas from the U.S. to foreign countries – all at the expense of higher prices for American consumers. The GOP energy strategy is to drill here in America, export our oil and gas abroad, and force Americans to pay more for gasoline, home heating oil, and natural gas.”
 
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