By Senators James Lankford and Jim Inhofe, and Congressmen Frank Lucas, Tom Cole, Markwayne Mullin and Steve Russell
Revenue in Oklahoma is down by 12 percent. We face a $900.8 million shortfall going into 2016. Our state Secretary of Finance has said we are facing the biggest fiscal challenge since the 2008 recession, and our state education agencies have been told to prepare for large, across-the-board budget cuts midway through the school year.
On top of all of this, a report from Oklahoma State University shows our state could lose more than 20,000 jobs through 2016 as a result of our unstable energy market.
One immediate way we can fix the problem is by ending the 40-year-old relic that has been dictating our national energy policy.
Most people might not know that it has been illegal for the U.S. to sell crude oil around the world. This outdated law has hurt our state and its families and businesses that are already struggling to get by.
This is why we have been fighting for a change.
We have been fighting to give jobs back to Oklahoma’s oil patch workers, to keep gasoline prices low, and to make sure the United States and our allies are not held hostage by countries that use energy as a political weapon.
We won this fight to lift the ban on exporting U.S. crude oil in the year-end funding bill.
Lifting the ban means creating 1 million jobs across nearly all 50 states. It means more revenue for Oklahoma. It means six new downstream jobs for every 10 new energy jobs, from manufacturing to information technology.
Lifting the ban on crude oil exports means maintaining the low prices we see at the gasoline pumps and disposable money families can put in savings or back into our economy. It means freedom from dangerous cartels across the Middle East that threaten our security and our way of life.
Lifting the ban on crude oil exports is about our kids’ future. It is a new opportunity for the entrepreneur down the street, motivation for the student thinking about an apprenticeship in our energy economy and security for the parents who are worried about their jobs.
The New Year is a turning point. One of the final budgets under this president is behind us. Now we have an opportunity to move beyond this administration’s heavy hand and bring Oklahoma’s values back to our federal government.
As your voice in Congress, we will always fight for our families, our jobs, our values and our freedom.
Hmmm, the U.S. is the largest importer of crude oil in the world. True our country does possess huge reserves of expensive oil, however, there is a reason we import most of our energy resources(crude oil). Does any thinking person believe that we are going to undersell the middle eastern or South American countries? This is just more federal jackassery from the folks we sent up there to justify their votes on the latest Omnibus Bill that they voted for.
Answer this then Mr Congressman(s) … Why are we still importing oil ?
We are still importing oil because the type of oil we produce here in the US is a different type of oil. It is a heavy crude oil, the kind they want and need in the Middle East. They have the light, sweet crude, the kind that we need here in the US because of it’s low sulfur content. It’s a cleaner burning oil/fuel.
Yes lifting export ban was worthwhile, but the contingent didnt invite/include Congressman Bridenstine in their letter to “splain” their capitulation to or agreement with repub leadership on more debt. They hang their hat on this one item to crowd out dissention meanwhile fueling personal political gain in DC.
Each one tagged in this letter campaigned on reducing debt, stopping ACA (obamacare) and illegal immigration. Nothing has been done when they were given a clear opportunity.
Oklahomans deserve better.
Congressman Bridenstine did not vote with them.
The point I was trying to make was just that. My response lacks calm and steady thought due to outrage.
Just a point of clarification: we produce all kinds of oil here in the US, including light, sweet crude [e.g., from the Permian Basin, the Bakken field and others]. In fact, thanks to our ability to produce from tight formations [like shale] our production of light, sweet crude is increasing.
The ability to export oil is no small victory. Whether it was worth the trade offs is another question. But it is a good achievement, and we DO produce light, sweet crude.