John Block Reports from Washington

Hello everybody out there in farm country. This radio commentary is brought to you by the Renewable Fuels Association, Wal-Mart Stores, Monsanto, and John Deere. They are all friends, supporters, and allies of a healthy farm economy and prosperous rural America. Thank you.

And now for today's commentary.

For months now, we have been hearing constant complaints about the cost of energy -gas prices over $4.00 per gallon, anhydrous ammonia prices have skyrocketed because of the cost of natural gas, the cost offood is up and not coming down because of the explosion in energy prices.

Under these circumstances, you would think the Congress would come forward with a comprehensive plan to deal with the crisis, but NO. They want to tax the oil companies for profiteering. They want to blame the speculators. That will not solve anything. They are just grandstanding.

This is not complicated. We need oil. We need gas. Let's drill for it.

President Bush authorized drilling off the coast this week. It has been off limits for 30 years. Even now, unless the Congress agrees, the President's green light means nothing. Polls show that 57% of our citizens want us to drill.

We have no one to blame but ourselves for the energy problems that we face today. For decades, we have refused exploitation of our own oil reserves -- off the continental shelf, in Alaska, in Western States. You can't drill here. You can't build a refinery there. No nuclear plant here. Not in my back yard.

Our energy policy is held hostage by fanatical environmentalists. They aren't the majority. They are a tiny minority -- anti-science, embracing a radical ideology. They argue that if we drill now it will take years before new energy will come on line. Are we to assume that in 7 or 8 years we just won't need oil or gas? That's absurd.

The longer we wait, the more of our wealth is transferred to the Middle East and other countries. The jobs that we could keep here at home go to countries halfway around the globe. Where is our brain?

In addition to conservation, we need to pursue every possible reasonable source of energy -- oil, gas, coal, nuclear, wind, solar, and yes, ethanol. It would be nice if the Congress would listen to the people.

Until next week, I am John Block from Washington.