Red Herring Miller?

Relying on argumentum ad misericordiam and a red herring, Rep. Jeff Miller’s arguments about drilling and exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and Gulf of Mexico Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) posited in his last weekly newsletter fell flat and, like much other debate about high gas prices, is disingenuous. He states that while he was on vacation last week his constituents’ number one concern was high gas prices. He then implies that by opening ANWR and the OCS for oil and gas exploration and building new refineries that Americans would save an estimated .70 cents to $2.50 per gallon. That’s bunk.

Gas prices have not just now begun to rise. Gas prices have been on the rise for many years, years in which a Republican House and Senate had the reigns. When Clinton took office on January 20, 1993, the national average gas price was $1.06 per gallon. Six and a half years later, the national average gas price had jumped to $1.22, roughly 15% higher. Compounded annually, this represents about a 2% jump each year. When President Bush took office on January 20, 2001, the national average gas price was $1.46 per gallon. Six and a half years later, on August 27, 2007, the national average gas price had jumped to $2.76, roughly 89% higher. Compounded annually, this represents about a 10% jump each year Bush has been in office. Republicans were in control of both houses of Congress from 1994 until 2006. Past and present Republican leadership is just as much to blame for our current situation as any seated Democrat today.

While high gas prices have many of us rethinking our budgets and daily travel, to argue that the cause of today’s gas prices is a failure of Democrats to “pass common-sense energy legislation” is just wrong. Energy policy was a central theme of the 2004 debates between Bush and John Kerry and will certainly be a highlight for Obama and McCain this election season. However, the true argument should be short-term versus short-term and long-term versus long-term. Short-term fixes will require diplomacy, controlling current supply-and-demand, and retrofit of current refineries. Long-term solutions include exploration, construction of better production infrastructure, renewable energy sources, and improved alternative fuels.

The Senate is now considering one climate change bill and, basically, we may end up back at square one with no relief in sight from rising gas prices on the short or long term. Voters should be diligent and informed during this upcoming election. We all are better served by elected officials who compromise and work across the aisle rather than those who mock their opponents and obfuscate the issues.

Miller's Middle-Class Grades

2008 Final grade to be released 03.2009
2007 -F
2005 -F
2004 -F
2003 -F

H.R. 5715, Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act of 2008
TOPICS: College tuition, Community college, Debt & Bankruptcy, Education, Saving for college, Student loans; NAY

H.R. 5613, Protecting the Medicaid Safety Net Act of 2008; TOPICS: Health Care, Hospitals, Medicaid, Public health; NAY

H.R. 5351, Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation Tax Act of 2008; TOPICS: Consumers, Corporate taxes, Efficient technology, Energy & Environment, Energy conservation, Global warming, Green buildings, Green jobs, Oil, Renewable fuels, Utilities; NAY

H.R. 5140, Recovery Rebates and Economic Stimulus for the American People Act of 2008; TOPICS: Consumers, Corporate taxes, Economic stimulus, Mortgage lending, Tax cuts, Tax Fairness, Workplace & Job Creation; YEA

H.R. 4137, College Opportunity and Affordability Act of 2008; TOPICS: College tuition, Education, Energy conservation, Pell Grants, Student loans; NAY

H.R. 3963, Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007 [Revised bill]; TOPICS: Health Care, Medicaid, Sales taxes, SCHIP; NAY

H.R. 3548, Plain Language in Government Communications Act of 2008; TOPICS: Drug safety, Government Accountability, Prescription drugs; YEA

H.R. 1424, Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2008; TOPICS: Employment discrimination, Health Care, Medical research; NAY

2007
H.R. 4040, Consumer Product Safety Modernization Act of 2007; TOPICS: Capping damages, Consumers, Product liability; YEA

H.R. 3996, Temporary Tax Relief Act of 2007; TOPICS: Alternative minimum tax, Child tax credit, College tuition, Corporate taxes, Income taxes, Mortgage lending, Pay-go, Tax cuts, Tax Fairness; NAY

H.R. 3688, United States-Peru Trade Promotion Agreement Implementation Act of 2007
TOPICS: Consumers, Food safety, Outsourcing, Trade agreement, Workplace & Job Creation
No Vote

H.R. 3580, FDA Amendments Act of 2007; TOPICS: Consumers, Corporate Accountability, Deceptive advertising and marketing, Drug safety, Food safety, Health Care, Prescription drugs;
YEA

H.R. 2895, Affordable Housing Trust Fund Act of 2007; TOPICS: Affordable Housing Trust Fund, Downpayment assistance, Housing, Mortgage lending; NAY

H.R. 2831, Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2007; TOPICS: Civil Justice, Employment discrimination, Workplace & Job Creation; NAY

H.R. 2669, College Cost Reduction Act of 2007; TOPICS: College tuition, Education, Pell Grants, Saving for college, Student loans; NAY

H.R. 1429, Improving Head Start Act of 2007; TOPICS: Education, Head Start, Preschool; NAY

H.R. 1362, Accountability in Contracting Act of 2007; TOPICS: Contracting, Government Accountability; NAY

H.R. 1257, Shareholder Vote on Executive Compensation Act of 2007; TOPICS: Corporate Accountability, Executive compensation, Shareholder rights; NAY

H.R. 976, Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2007; TOPICS: Health Care, Medicaid, Sales taxes, SCHIP; NAY

H.R. 800, Employee Free Choice Act of 2007; TOPICS: Right to organize, Unions, Workplace & Job Creation; NAY

H.R. 6, Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007; TOPICS: Coal, Consumers, Corporate taxes, Efficient technology, Energy & Environment, Energy conservation, Global warming, Green buildings, Green jobs, Heating fuel, Job training, Oil, Pollution, Renewable fuels, Tax cuts, Utilities; NAY

H.R. 6, CLEAN Energy Act of 2007; TOPICS: Corporate taxes, Efficient technology, Energy & Environment, Global warming, Green buildings, Oil, Renewable fuels; NAY

H.R. 4, Medicare Prescription Drug Price Negotiation Act of 2007; TOPICS: Health Care, HMOs and insurance companies, Medicare, Prescription drugs; YEA

H.R. 2, Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007; TOPICS: Minimum wage, Workplace & Job Creation
NAY

WHO DOES THIS MAN REPRESENT?