New Orleans, La -- Aug. 25, 2008 -- Steve Scalise was missing in action last month when his Congressional colleagues visited Louisiana to discuss ongoing hurricane recovery needs - an event that led to a Democratic request for $30 billion in extra federal money for the state.
Today, Scalise is pretending that tour never happened, and he's wasting tax-payer money on a second Congressional trip to New Orleans so he can pose for campaign pictures.
"This is pure posturing, and it's a waste of government money," said Jim Harlan, who is challenging Scalise in the November election. "Scalise should have shown up to discuss the problem with his colleagues when they were here last month. Gov. Jindal did. Instead, Scalise is billing tax-payers for him to play catch up and pose for photos so he can claim he's doing something about ongoing hurricane recovery needs."
Rather than meet with Congressional leaders in July to discuss the needs of his district, Scalise went to Alaska on a tax-payer funded trip to discuss drilling in ANWR, a plan that will have no impact on the price of oil for 10 years.
"We're glad Scalise discovered Louisiana has oil, too," Harlan said, referring to Scalise's plans Tuesday to take the tax-payer funded tour to off-shore drilling rigs in the Gulf of Mexico.
But even the off-shore drilling in Louisiana will have no impact the price of gas for 5 years.
"Drilling off-shore, which I support, is an important part of the solution," said Harlan, who has more than 30 years experience in the energy business. "But drilling is not a fast, nor the only, answer to the energy problem. We need relief now - not in five to 10 years."
Harlan, who wrote a book in 1981 about energy policy, said Scalise voted against lowering gas prices when he voted against releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in July. Scalise also voted to continue filling the petroleum reserve when it was 97 percent full.
"It's a supply and demand problem," Harlan said. "Add more supply to the market, the price goes down. Scalise voted twice against adding more oil to the market supply."
Harlan, who has a Ph. D in public policy and developed energy policy for both the Carter and Reagan White House administrations, explains that the energy problem the country faces now is a "complex problem with complex solutions."
Another energy solution Scalise ignores is on-shore drilling in Louisiana, which will provide faster access to Louisiana oil, more jobs and an immediate boost to the state's economy, Harlan said.
"I'd be happy to explain how to fix our energy problems to Scalise if he has the patience to listen," Harlan said. "But bottom line, the citizens of Louisiana, which is so rich in oil and gas resources, will be better served in Congress by someone who already understands this industry inside and out."
Harlan, a self-made, independent-minded businessman, said he plans to work with the Democratic majority and his Republican colleagues in Congress find sensible solutions that provide relief on gas prices faster and help support Americans as the country make the necessary transition to a secure energy future.
