House Concurrent Resolution 73

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION URGING THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS TO ESTABLISH A DOMESTIC ENERGY POLICY TO ENSURE AN ADEQUATE SUPPLY AND APPROPRIATE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR NATURAL GAS, PROMOTE GREATER ENERGY EFFICIENCY AND OPEN PROMISING NEW AREAS FOR ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE NATURAL GAS PRODUCTION.

WHEREAS, the price of natural gas in the United States, already the highest in the industrial world, has again spiked and shows continued volatility; and

WHEREAS, the abnormally high natural gas prices have been an one hundred-eleven billion dollar unanticipated burden on the economy of the United States over the past eighteen months; and

WHEREAS, the United States is over reliant on natural gas in our national energy supply, creating a tremendous imbalance between natural gas supply and demand; and

WHEREAS, the manufacturers, farmers, small businesses, local governments and retailers are struggling from skyrocketing natural gas prices, which are threatening thousands of jobs in these industries since many of these businesses use natural gas as a raw material as well as an energy supply; and

WHEREAS, the natural gas imbalance is not a free market problem, but the high price of natural gas is created by governmental policies that increase demand for natural gas while impeding the development of a greater supply by discouraging more exploration and production; and

WHEREAS, since natural gas is domestically produced and very difficult to import, the United States cannot correct the imbalance by the importation of natural gas; and

WHEREAS, the State of Mississippi supports a sound, rational, domestic energy policy:

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE SENATE CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby urge the United States Congress to enact legislation in the 109th Congress establishing a domestic energy policy that will ensure an adequate supply of natural gas and the appropriate infrastructure, acknowledging that such energy policy should develop a concerted national effort to promote greater energy efficiency and open promising new areas for environmentally responsible natural gas production.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to President George W. Bush, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, each member of the Mississippi Congressional delegation and to the members of the Capitol Press Corps.