A political ploy

Thursday, Aug. 7, 2008 | 2:05 a.m.

A small group of Republicans on Tuesday marched into the House of Representatives, quiet and dark during the annual August recess, and demanded that Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., call the House back into session.

Over in the Senate, Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., has written to President Bush, asking him to call Congress back into session. The Republicans want Americans to think they’re working hard to solve the nation’s energy crisis and could do so if only Congress weren’t in recess.

But the problem isn’t that Congress is out of session. The problem is that Republicans have continued to block significant energy policies that would help drive down prices at the pump. And they have been doing so for years.

For the first six years of the Bush administration, Republicans controlled both houses of Congress and they did nothing to address the issues that have led to the current energy crisis. Since Democrats took control of Congress, Republicans have stymied legislation that would provide stable sources of energy for America. They have blocked tax credits for renewable energy projects and instead supported lucrative tax breaks for oil companies, which have recorded astronomical profits from the spike at the gas pump.

More concerned about their energy industry patrons, Republicans have argued that the country needs to expand offshore oil drilling and build more coal and nuclear power plants. They just don’t get it.

The nation doesn’t need more polluting power plants, it needs a broad energy policy that encourages alternative energy such as wind, solar and geothermal.

Such policies have been in the works in Congress for some time but have failed to go anywhere because of the Republicans’ obstructionist tactics.

Instead of working with Democrats on policy that would help Americans, Republicans are pulling election year stunts to try to divert attention from their own failed record.

Americans should remember that as they fill up at the pump.