The year was 1967. I was on a private aircraft belonging to an oil
company with my boss, the late Senator Gordon L. Allott (R-CO). We were
flying to Oklahoma City, where Allott was to address the State GOP
Convention. An oil company executive asked me if ever I had seen oil
shale. I said I had not. Whereupon he picked up a piece, took out his
cigarette lighter, and lit the piece. It burned like high grade coal.
The oil company man proceeded to tell me that if oil ever reached $30 a
barrel it would be profitable to develop oil shale. Even with inflation
oil has exceeded that price so why aren't we developing the trillions of
barrels of oil-shale reserves. There is a one word answer to that
question: Congress.
I receive mail from folks who tell me they don't vote because there is
no difference between the political parties. In some ways they are
correct but not when it comes to energy. Representative Roy Blunt
(R-MO), House Minority Whip, has presented his colleagues with data
which clearly makes the case that in terms of developing oil and natural
gas there is a profound difference between the parties, at least in the
House of Representatives.
Blunt's figures show that for the past 14 years 91% of House Republicans
voted to develop oil at ANWR while 86% of Democrats opposed drilling
there. In the conversion of coal to liquid category 97% of House
Republicans supported the concept while 78% of Democrats opposed it.
Regarding the development of oil shale in Colorado and Utah the level of
support among House Republicans was 90% while the level of opposition to
the development of oil shale among Democrats was 86%.
When it comes to oil exploration for the Outer Continental Shelf 81% of
Republican House Members said yes while 83% of Democrats said no. And
look at this figure: 97% of House Republicans want to increase refinery
capacity while 96% of Democrats said, no way. Historically, Blunt said,
91% of Republicans have favored development of oil and gas reserves
while 86% of Democrats historically have been against oil and gas
exploration and development.