Why not produce more oil and cut foreign imports, creating jobs and revenue? Lets use revenue from oil production to facilitate the deployment of alternatives, stated U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska. She is ranking Republican senator on the Senate Energy and Resources Committee.

A recent Congressional Research Service report found that U.S. recoverable oil resources are estimated at 157 billion barrels, which doesnt include the roughly 900 billion barrels of unconventional oil resources nearing commercialization. In addition, never-explored Alaskan lands hold an estimated 40 billion barrels.

Per the Wall Street Journal, These state lands are dwarfed by the oil-heavy federal lands and waters that surround them. Environmentalists have blocked drilling and gamed the regulatory system so that little or no commercial oil has flowed from these federal lands.

Because of these efforts, the Alaska pipeline has about 1.5 million barrels of unused capacity a day. This is causing serious technical problems as slow flowing oil drops in temperature and clogs and corrodes the pipe.

As environmentalists know, if the pipe is not repaired or if there is no increase in flow, the pipe may have to shut down and by law be dismantled. This could kill Alaskan drilling.

In addition, the administration seems to be stalling approval of the Keystone XL pipeline, which could bring in 500,000 barrels of Canadian oil per day and allow access to North Dakotas Baaken formation.

The Presidents response is to drain 30 billion barrels from our strategic reserve and, per Charles Krauthammer, to offer a token relaxation of his hard line against oil drilling.

These are not appropriate responses from the leader of our once great country.

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