Earlier today, President Barack Obama faced the Washington press corps in a rare full-blown news conference to discuss the results of the mid-term elections. During the event, he turned to areas where Republicans and Democrats might be able to find common ground. The first such policy area he talked about was energy, in general, and natural gas, specifically.
The president said:
“I don’t think there’s anybody in America who thinks that we’ve got an energy policy that works the way it needs to, that thinks that we shouldn’t be working on energy independence.
“And that gives opportunities for Democrats and Republicans to come together and think about — you know, whether it’s natural gas or energy efficiency or how we can build electric cars in this country — how do we move forward on that agenda.”
Over the course of the past two years, bills containing elements of the Pickens Plan have been among the few pieces of legislation which have drawn bipartisan support. For example, the NAT GAS Act, which was introduced in 2009, has more than 140 co-sponsors, drawn from both parties and representing Members of Congress from all sections of the nation.
If President Obama, Minority Leader Boehner, and Majority Leader Reid are looking for a way to get some positive momentum, then taking quick action on one of the bills which speaks to energy security and a stronger economy – with natural gas vehicles at the core – would give all Americans a sense of confidence that their leaders are acting in the nation’s best interests.
— The Pickens Team