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Dear Solsticewitch13, Last Thursday we sent you an Action Alert from Lisa Piraneo, our Director of Government Relations, regarding the Open Fuel Standard Act. We received a number of emails with good questions about why we chose this piece of legislation to support. The answer is we did so for both policy and strategic reasons. For those of you who have attended one of our “Citizens in Action” conferences, the information that follows will probably sound familiar to you. We devote a significant amount of time in these conferences to thinking and acting strategically in order to maximize our effectiveness. This is why we created this conference, and why we strongly encourage every chapter leader and member to attend. (There’s still time to register for this Saturday’s live webcast. Simply click here to register for this upcoming webcast or for another conference of your choice). Many of the questions we received related to why we chose this bill rather than working on another energy-related bill at this time. Here’s why:
Some of you asked if we support more domestic drilling of oil. We DO support such drilling. The problem is, the Obama administration and most of the Democratic leaders in Congress do not. (President Obama actually reversed Bush’s decision to open up offshore drilling). If gas prices spiked back above $4.00 a gallon, there might be a sufficient outcry from voters that would pressure President Obama and these leaders to change their minds. But without a deafening roar from the grassroots of America, which does not now exist, it is clear to us that we must look for other energy options to support in the meantime. Should gas prices spike again, you can count on the fact that we will be part of the grassroots roar demanding more drilling. However, to put all our eggs in the basket of domestic oil production is simply not strategically smart. There are other options we support, such as an ambitious build-up of nuclear power and the expanded use of natural gas to power trucks and buses. Unfortunately, as is the case with increased domestic oil production, the Obama administration has signaled it is not really interested in either of these options at this time. We do believe there is a case to make to cities across America to convert buses and trucks to natural gas, and we will focus on that yet this year. The Open Fuel Standard Act is not a silver bullet. It might not even prove to be the best policy option available. But it is achievable. If, in five years, 2 million cars were running on methanol instead of gas, that would make a positive difference for our national security. On the other hand, if we focus on policies that are simply not attainable at this time, what will we have in five years? The same situation we have now, where we are far too dependent on oil from countries that mean us harm – and that’s unacceptable from a national security perspective. So if you haven’t yet acted on last Thursday’s legislative action alert, there’s still time (see below). And don’t forget to click here to register for one of our “Citizens in Action” conferences. When you attend you’ll understand why one recent attendee, a chapter leader, said she was “blown away” by what she learned. LEGISLATIVE ACTION E-MAIL ALERT!!!! Contact Congress Today About the Open Fuel Standard Act by Lisa Piraneo ACT! for America Director of Government Relations Dear Solsticewitch13, Unfortunately, we in America are addicted to oil. This addiction is not healthy for our economy or our national security, as we learned last summer when gas prices spiked to over $4.00 a gallon. Last year alone, the U.S. imported 4.7 billion barrels of oil and oil products. Of that amount, 1.3 billion barrels came from the Middle East and Venezuela – countries who are hostile to our nation and our democratic freedoms. As members of ACT! for America, we fully understand the gravity of the situation. We understand that every dollar we spend on oil that we send to nations that fund Islamist terrorism or extremist Islamist education increases the threat to our national security. Last year, oil provided more than 96% of the fuel for our cars and trucks. Today, for most Americans, there is simply no alternative to oil for their transportation needs – even if they want an alternative. H.R. 1476, the Open Fuel Standard Act, changes that. This bi-partisan, common-sense proposal would require 50% of new cars sold in the United States by 2012, and 80% by 2015, to be flex fuel vehicles, capable of burning any combination of gasoline, ethanol, or methanol. Alternative fuels like ethanol and methanol can be produced from an abundance of products other than corn. Grass, weeds, even biodegradable trash, can all be converted to fuel. A flex fuel standard will produce the demand for these fuels, as manufacturers and retailers come to realize that, in just a few years, there will be millions of cars on the roads in America capable of running on alternative fuels. This is a classic “if you build it they will come” scenario. Powerful people on both ends of the political spectrum – from President Obama to former House Speaker Newt Gingrich – have called for implementation of flex fuel technology. Flex fuel vehicles already exist and they only cost about $100 more than the same car in a gasoline-only version. It is a simple and inexpensive modification that should be standard in cars, like seatbelts or airbags. This important legislative proposal is plain common sense, good for our economy, and good for our national security as it is a huge step in the direction of reducing our dependence on oil from nations that wish us harm. This legislation needs the support of all Members of Congress. Therefore, WE NEED YOUR HELP! Please read the details of this legislation below – AND WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU – and contact your Member of Congress right away! If each of us does just a little, together we can accomplish a lot! THE FOLLOWING 2 ACTIONS ARE WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU, OUR ACT! FOR AMERICA GRASSROOTS ADVOCATE!
DETAILS OF LEGISLATION
THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP WITH THIS IMPORTANT LEGISLATIVE PROPOSAL. Members of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce Members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ACT for America P.O. Box 12765 Pensacola, FL 32591 www.actforamerica.org ACT for America is an issues advocacy organization dedicated to effectively organizing and mobilizing the most powerful grassroots citizen action network in America, a grassroots network committed to informed and coordinated civic action that will lead to public policies that promote America’s national security and the defense of American democratic values against the assault of radical Islam. We are only as strong as our supporters, and your volunteer and financial support is essential to our success. Thank you for helping us make America safer and more secure. HOW CAN I TELL OTHERS ABOUT YOUR ORGANIZATION? Send a personalized version of this message to your friends. HOW CAN I SUPPORT YOUR ORGANIZATION? Click here to give an online donation. |
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