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Press Releases
Seals Says Our Nation Needs To Reduce Its Dependence on Oil
Tuesday, August 8, 2006
WILMETTE, IL - As oil and gas prices reach new record highs today, it's time our government initiated a real energy policy instead of more of the same reliance on polluting fossil fuels, congressional candidate Dan Seals said today.
"The shutdown of BP's Alaska oil field only demonstrates how desperately this nation needs a dynamic energy policy based on multiple strategies, not just the search-and-drill tactics of the Republican-controlled Congress," Seals said. "We cannot continue to speed down a dead end street."
Since this president took office in 2001, gas prices have nearly doubled. The energy bill that President Bush signed a year ago today was more of a giveaway to the big oil companies than a serious approach to manage our nation's energy needs. The proof is available for all to see at the pump.
"Increased demand only helps increase prices further," Seals said. "With U.S. oil consumption now nearly 21 million barrels per day and projected to reach 29 million barrels per day by 2025, we have no time to lose."
"First and foremost, we need a strong national plan to encourage conservation and to develop viable alternative, renewable energy sources, not only for the sake of our economy but also for the global environment," Seals added. "I support a plan know as the Apollo Initiative, which will drastically improve our energy infrastructure by pulling tax subsidies from oil and putting them towards researching alternative fuels."
"Our national security demands that we reduce our reliance on foreign oil, now at 66 percent of all oil consumed in this country," Seals continued. "Next we need to nip these high prices by changing the demand side of the equation since this is most easily within our control."
Since assuming a leadership role in the Republican House, Mark Kirk has voted increasingly anti-conservation and pro-oil company. The latest example was his vote for President Bush's 2005 Energy Bill, which includes billions in subsidies and tax breaks for the oil and gas industries. Between the 2000 cycle and through 2005, Kirk took $35,900 from oil and gas industry PACs and employees, including contributions from ExxonMobil, ChevronTexaco, BP, American Gas Assoc., Occidental Petroleum, and the Petroleum Marketers Association of America.
He also flip-flopped on his position to allow drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, voting twice to allow drilling in 2005, and he has also voted to relax environmental regulations for oil refineries last year.
This is the wrong approach for our country. What the 10th District needs is consistent leadership so that Americans can have a steady supply of energy.
The 10th District Race
The Cook Political Report, a nonpartisan Washington political publication, recently upgraded the 10th District race between Dan Seals and Mark Kirk to its Competitive House Race chart. In a district that has voted for a Democrat in every presidential race since 1996, incumbent Congressman Mark Kirk votes with his party 91.49% of the time (from the nonpartisan Congressional Quarterly). Additionally, Kirk holds the Republican leadership position of Assistant Majority Whip, which gives him the responsibility of enforcing party discipline and lining up members on critical party votes.
About Dan Seals
Seals lives in Wilmette with his wife, Mia, and three young daughters. Born in Chicago, he received a master's in public policy from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and served as a Presidential Management Fellow during the Clinton Administration in both the Department of Commerce and Sen. Joseph Lieberman's office. Seals went on to earn his MBA from the University of Chicago. He is currently on leave from his position as Director of Marketing at GE Commercial Finance while he campaigns full time.
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