In his monthly update on the level of foreign oil imports in the U.S., energy expert T. Boone Pickens said that based on the latest figures from the Federal Reserve Economic Database, the U.S. imported 61 percent of its oil in April 2011. That represented more than a million barrels a day, 344 million barrels for the month which means we were sending approximately $42.5 billion, or $1.42 billion a day – seven days a week – to foreign countries.

Boone Pickens said:

“April’s oil import numbers are the highest we have ever seen and the implications are disturbing. This is a national security threat of the highest order. Our addiction to OPEC oil is so severe that it constitutes the greatest transfer of wealth in history. We are subsidizing terrorism by spending billions of dollars every month buying OPEC oil. President Obama recognized this threat when he implored Congress to pass legislation to encourage natural gas use in heavy-duty transportation.

“We must protect ourselves from the threat of OPEC nations, many of which continue to experience armed conflict and demonstrate hostility towards America. By relying on them for something as crucial as our energy, we allow ourselves to be held hostage by dictators and unstable regimes.”

The NAT GAS Act (H.R. 1380), which is currently being considered by two House Committees, encourages the use of domestic natural gas to fuel heavy-duty vehicles, simultaneously improving our national security and strengthening our economy. The legislation currently has 179 bipartisan co-sponsors from across the country – that includes Tea Party members from the Republican Study Committee; the Black Caucus; and, the Blue Dog Coalition which endorsed the bill just last week. Additionally, President Barack Obama has declared his support for using natural gas to wean America off OPEC oil and secure our energy future.

The Pickens Plan to encourage more heavy-duty vehicles to run on domestic resources is included in the NAT GAS Act. The Act was introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressman John Sullivan (R-OK), Congressman Dan Boren (D-OK), Congressman John Larson (D-CT) and Congressman Kevin Brady (R-TX).

Pickens concluded:

“The only way to reduce our dependence on these nations is to utilize our vast domestic resources. We have an enormous supply of domestic natural gas that can replace OPEC oil today. Natural gas is cleaner, cheaper, abundant, and it’s ours. Ultimately, this effort will enhance national security, create American jobs, and improve our economy and environment.”

— The Pickens Team