It looks like everyday activities just got a little more expensive. From dropping the kids off at school, to driving to the grocery store, we’ll all be spending more money to fill our gas tanks. Believe me; I’m just as frustrated as you, when I fill up the family car and I pay those ballooning prices. I wish I could say the answer to lower fuel prices was easy – that there was a “silver bullet” – unfortunately there’s not. While the factors that are causing pain at the pump didn’t develop overnight, neither will the solutions.

There’s no fast fix – we can’t just drill our way to cheaper gas, or throw money at alternative fuel development. Instead, the only way to lower energy prices is through a broad effort. There’s no one answer, the solution may be a combination of approaches. Since I have been representing you in Congress, we’ve been taking steps to pave the way for an energy solution. We’ve debated bills to raise fuel efficiency standards. It’s a step I believe we should take as a nation. We’ve voted on bills to increase the amount of domestic oil by expanding exploration to Alaska and increasing the areas we explore off-shore. I’ve supported building more refineries and increased funding for alternative fuel research. We’ve also created tax credits to encourage the purchase of hybrid vehicles.

Some of these proposals have become law and laid the groundwork for real change. We’ve come together to encourage the building of more oil refineries (but building them takes time), approved oil exploration off the Gulf Coast, provided funding for electrical improvements, and funded new energy technology initiatives. Others, the most important bills like, oil exploration, have not become law. For example, I’ve voted six times to open up more areas for domestic oil exploration. But each and every time, Democrats blocked those bills. We’ve tried to streamline the number of gasoline blends used in this country and that would help lower gas prices. Once again, Democrats blocked those bills.

We’ve tried to push this country in a direction that will help solve our energy crisis so we are not dependent on our enemies for energy. Now, under new leadership, we’re waiting. A year ago, Democrats claimed they had a plan to lower gas prices. They spoke as if it was all written up and they were just waiting to implement it. Well, we’re waiting.

If we’re going to confront the issue of increased demand, less fuel to go around, and energy prices that creep farther and farther up, we need to act. We need to work together, Republicans and Democrats, to come up with a far-reaching solution that will include the best of the alternatives Americans have to offer. Who knows, maybe when our children are grown, they’ll be driving cars powered by water, or by the sun. The possibilities are endless, but in order to avoid pain at the pump, we have to continue moving forward, so one day there will be a solution.