Congressional Candidate Lien Calls for Energy Commitment

From yesterday's mailbag that I didn't get time to get to until today:

For Immediate Release
Contact: Hugh Weber
June 24, 2008
605-413-8436

Rapid City, SD – South Dakota Republican Congressional candidate Chris Lien said Tuesday that Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin has an opportunity on Wednesday (June 25) during a critical committee vote "to sort out the mixed signals she's been sending when it comes to a commitment to finding pro-exploration solutions to the energy crisis."

"Just last month, she voted against a proposal by Alaska Rep. Don Young that would have allowed for oil exploration in a 2,000-acre section of the Coastal Plain in the 19-million-acre Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR)," Lien said. "Then, last week, she said in published reports that she supports drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf and in ANWR."

Lien said that on Wednesday, Herseth Sandlin "has an opportunity to make her position clear and truly represent the views of many South Dakotans by casting a vote in favor of pro-exploration amendments before the House Natural Resources Committee."

"During my 'listening tour' of the state's 66 counties, I heard time and time again that South Dakotans want leaders who 'walk the walk' and don't just 'talk the talk'," Lien said. "These things don't have to be that difficult. South Dakotans know what the problem is: We don't have enough oil and gas to meet the demand. We can take South Dakotan's common-sense solutions to Washington, and truly make a difference."

Lien noted that on the same day last week that President Bush spoke of expanding exploration, Rep. Young was set to introduce amendments allowing domestic exploration.

"Unfortunately, Democratic leadership cancelled that committee meeting. Tomorrow, Congresswoman Herseth Sandlin has an opportunity to join South Dakotans in ensuring that solutions move forward," Lien said. "The current Congress needs to fight for every option to obtain the very oil we have right here within our own country. Let's hope that Congresswoman Herseth Sandlin will finally be part of the solution, rather than the problem."

In May 2006, she voted against a bill that dealt solely with drilling in ANWR. The "American-Made Energy and Good Jobs Act" would have allowed a small portion of the Alaskan wilderness to be tapped for much-needed oil and gas supplies.

Herseth Sandlin is quoted in the June 18 Argus Leader: "I support drilling both in the Outer Continental Shelf and in ANWR…with gas at four dollars a gallon, American families deserve better than partisan, political games played with our nation's energy policy. Any serious effort to end our addiction to foreign oil must include both a commitment to renewable and a commitment to increasing domestic production of oil and natural gas."