Pelosi Says Offshore Drilling is a Hoax!

From Leader Boehner’s Office:

Poll after poll underscores the American people’s strong support for increased American energy production to help bring down gas prices. And an increasing number of rank-and-file Democrats in Congress are listening to them and calling for a vote on more environmentally-safe oil and gas drilling here at home. In fact, just today, two more House Democrats have bucked Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and her Democratic leadership colleagues by calling for more drilling to help lower gas prices:

“We ought to have a vote in the House of Representatives about it.” – Energy-Water Appropriations Subcommittee Chairman Peter Visclosky (D-IN), Congressional Quarterly, 7/28/08

“Drill everywhere… I’m for off-shore (oil) drilling. It needs to be part of a multi-pronged approach.” – Rep. Tim Holden (D-PA), (Pottsville, PA) Republican Herald, 7/28/08

So, how does Speaker Pelosi respond to these ever-intensifying calls for more American energy to help families and small businesses cope with rising fuel costs? By calling their views “a hoax.”

That’s right, in an appearance this morning on NBC’s Today show, Speaker Pelosi coldly dismissed the views held by a solid Majority of the American people, not to mention a bipartisan majority in Congress, saying, “It’s really a hoax. It’s really a hoax on the American people.”

This is just the latest illustration of how out-of-touch the Speaker and her colleagues in the Democratic leadership are with American families and small businesses who are being pummeled day in and day out by soaring energy prices. While Americans support more oil and gas production on remote federal lands and far off our shores – a key component of the Republican-backed American Energy Act, along with increased conservation and development of alternative and renewable fuels – the Speaker is prepared to “pack it up and go home” later this week, sending Congress on a five-week August vacation while Americans suffer at the pump.

So just how out-of-touch is the Democratic leadership? Let’s take a look at recent public opinion polls, each of which shows Speaker Pelosi and her colleagues on the wrong side of the most important priority facing the American people:

A Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll released last week revealed that 75 percent of Americans – and 66 percent of Democrats – support immediate oil and gas exploration here at home;

According to a CNN poll, 73 percent of Americans favor more exploration of deep ocean energy resources far off American shores;

A Reuters/Zogby poll conducted in June shows that 75% of American support drilling for oil off shore of the U.S. while 59% support drilling in ANWR.

A Bloomberg News/Los Angeles Times poll from June showed 68 percent of Americans support increased exploration for oil and gas in the United States;

A Rasmussen Reports survey from June showed 67 percent of Americans support deepwater energy exploration – with 64 percent expecting it will lower gas prices; and

A recent IBD/TIPP poll shows 64% surveyed support offshore drilling and 65% support oil shale development.

Later this week, Democrats and Republicans will have an opportunity to cast a vote for or against adjourning Congress for the August break. If Speaker Pelosi, Senators Harry Reid (D-NV) and Barack Obama (D-IL), and their Democratic leadership colleagues call up that vote without also scheduling a vote to increase American energy production to lower gas prices, will Reps. Visclosky and Holden vote against adjourning? Will other rank-and-file Democrats who purportedly support more oil and gas drilling here at home? Or will they bow to their party leaders, defy the strong will of the American people, and leave town to enjoy five weeks of vacations and politics – all while consumers continue to feel the pain at the pump?