I really love our Congressman. I hope he runs for Senate one day. He's teh awesome.

On the recent issue of offshore drilling, Congress passed it even though the Dems should be holding the majority and should have learned to stop cowering in the corner by now. Evidently not seeing as they're still cowed by the Republicans who mostly spew misinformation and ignorance.

Anyway, Holt obliviously voted against it. Here is the statement he issued after the vote.

There is much that I strongly support about this legislation, including the expansion of renewable energy, repealing of tax subsidies to big oil companies, and creation of green jobs.

However, I still believe that drilling in environmentally sensitive areas, such as our coastline, is unwise. Some in America claim that drilling - here, now, and everywhere - will bring instantaneous relief to families paying painful gas prices. The facts do not support this claim. "Drill baby drill" is not an energy policy, it is a slogan to hide behind to avoid coming up with a real policy which will help America move towards sustainable, affordable energy. The evidence shows that drilling in OCS would save perhaps pennies per gallon years from now. We can begin now, not years from now, to move to sustainable, affordable energy. We will never be able to drill our way to energy independence. The United States consumes 25 percent of the world's oil but only possesses 3 percent of the world's oil reserves. Even if we drilled on every single square inch of land where oil is assumed to exist we will never be able to meet our national demand.

That said, the environmental and financial requirements for an oil or gas company to drill are strong enough that few if any wells will be drilled under this legislation, and I expect smarter, more comprehensive legislation will follow next year.

I like this bit best: "Drill baby drill" is not an energy policy, it is a slogan to hide behind to avoid coming up with a real policy....

In his Congressional Record statment, he also points out that there are currently 68 million acres being leased by the oil companies that are open both off and on shore for drilling, but they aren't using it. They so desperately need to relieve our suffering by drilling everywhere they've been told they can't drill and not on the 68 million acres they've been told they can drill. Must be magic in them thar tracts of land.