President Reagan said the most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government and I'm here to help. This seems especially true with the approval process for refineries and many other important energy projects.
 
While prices at the pump continue to rise, many important energy projects are tied up in red tape, delaying production of the energy we need. Because of the bureaucratic red tape, we have not built a new refinery in this country in over 20 years. As a result our capacity to refine gas is stretched to the limit and it is affecting the price of gas. We need to get those projects moving along so we can start weaning ourselves off of foreign oil and combat rising energy costs.
 
This week I introduced legislation to cut the red tape and to streamline the approval process for these important energy related projects including gasoline refineries, nuclear power plants, ethanol plants and wind farms. Each of these projects would increase our domestic energy supply and help alleviate the high energy prices Missourians are facing.
 
This bill is a step in the right direction but it is only part of the solution. Congress needs to continue working on solutions that will reduce the cost of energy for Missourians and all Americans. Unfortunately, the leadership in Congress seems more concerned with buying Lexus hybrids for the Beverly Hills Police Department then they are with reducing the energy prices for consumers. Congress needs to get serious and pass real energy legislation that focuses on the energy we have here in our own backyard.

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