From Culberson

***BREAKING NEWS***

January 19, 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congressman John Culberson issued the following statement regarding President Bush’s commuting the sentences of Border Agents Ramos and Compean:

“I am thrilled that President George W. Bush took the opportunity, on his last full day in office, to commute the sentences of wrongly imprisoned Border Patrol Agents Ignacio Ramos and Jose Compean. This long overdue commutation is a blessing to the agents and their families, and it will instantly improve the morale of our Border Patrol, which will help make our nation more secure. Their sentences will now expire on March 20, and these men will finally be released from prison and return home to their loving families.

“Last Thursday I secured the signatures of 29 (all but three) Texas Representatives, two former members and both of our Texas Senators on a letter to the President Bush requesting that he commute the sentences of Agents Ramos and Compean. I hand-delivered the letter to the White House on Thursday night to ensure the President would see it before he left office. Today is a great day for Texans and people from across the country who sought justice for Ramos and Compean. Their appeal to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals was rejected in September, so a presidential commutation was their best and most timely option. With this one act, President Bush has done more to restore his popularity than anything else he could have done and he showed once again that he is a man of character and integrity.”

Oil Dependence Antidote

"A move to repeal $12 billion to $18 billion in oil industry tax breaks is one vote shy of overcoming a Republican-led filibuster in the Senate." -Truthout.

On April 20th, 2005, John Culberson voted to allow drilling in ANWR, the Alaskan National Wildlife Preserve, a national treasure and place of ancient forests, pristine since the close of the last ice age. -Progressive Punch.

Help Michael Skelly take on 4-term Republican incumbent John Culberson and get rid of the special big-oil tax breaks, and special gifts to the big-oil business they give out in Washington, D.C. We can send Michael Skelly to clean House in Washington.

Michael Skelly is now more electable than ever. He is a successful entrepreneur and superb at fund raising. He has over $1 million on hand and is the 7th best-funded challenger in the nation. -Burnt Orange.

Michael Skelly will do a better job of representing the values of the citizens of Western Houston, House District 7. He is the oil-dependence antidote. This isn't just tilting at windmills.

Michael Skelly: New Energy for Congress

Michael Skelly is a successful entrepreneur. He was a leader in the development of Horizon Wind Energy, a renewable energy company. He is running for the Congressional seat now occupied by incumbent John Culberson, and giving voters a Green way to paint Texas Blue.

Texas's 7th Congressional District has been a very Republican leaning district. It includes Bellaire, West University Place, and Jersey Village in Harris County. The Republicans may lose a seat in Washington, D.C., come Nov. 4, to Democrat Michael Skelly.

Michael Skelly, unusually successful at raising campaign dollars, will be running TV ads until November 4, election day. There is change in the air. Volunteer for Michael Skelly and send some new energy to Congress in Washington, D.C.

John Culberson's ANWR OCS Solution

Culberson's recent mailer advocates drilling in The Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge, Gulf Coast, Outer Continental Shelf, and the Mountain West.

ANWR
The Arctic Natural Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) is a place of ancient wilderness that remains the same as it was at the end of the last ice age. It contains only a small percentage of our energy needs. Lifting the ban on drilling in this wild-life habitat would have a minute impact on the price of oil. The small gain would not be worth the destruction. Drilling in ANWR would take 10 years to have any effect on the price of fuel.

OCS
Drilling for oil in the environmentally sensitive Outer Continental Shelf will not help reduce the price of fuel. It would not have an impact until the year 2030.

The below quote is from a Truth Out article titled, Drilling Without Oil, Tax Cuts Without Growth. It is taken from within the context of Senator McCain's energy policy. It applies equally well to John Culberson policy, however.

"Of course, Senator McCain knows the amount of oil potentially available offshore in environmentally sensitive areas is too small to have a noticeable impact on prices and that it will take a decade before we even see a drop."

Despite the substantial crude oil and natural gas contained in the Outer Continental Shelf, drilling in this area will not substantially effect the price of oil and natural gas. It would not substaintially raise the production of oil and natural gas compared to what is expected to be produced in other areas with the ban in place.

"Mean estimates from the MMS indicate that technically recoverable resources currently off limits in the lower 48 OCS total 18 billion barrels of crude oil and 77 trillion cubic feet of natural gas..."

"The projections in the OCS access case indicate that access to the Pacific, Atlantic, and eastern Gulf regions would not have a significant impact on domestic crude oil and natural gas production or prices before 2030. Leasing would begin no sooner than 2012, and production would not be expected to start before 2017. "

Drilling in environmentally sensitive areas in an attempt to lower energy prices isn't going to work.

Sites of Interest for Further Reading and Information Used in this Blog:
Center for American Progress
Natural Resources Defense Council
The Energy Information Administration
Progressive Punch

John Culberson

According to OpenSecrets.org, Center for Responsive Politics, John Culberson has received $67,750 from the Oil and Gas industry for this election cycle.

http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00009738