There is a lot of interest in how we solve the energy crisis we face today. And seeing that the Republicans think they have the cure for such a crisis makes me upset to my stomach. For instance, Congressman Henry Brown, who represents me, says he’s for an “all of the above” approach on finding ways to increase domestic energy production. I was one of those many people who wrote him expressing my concern about this very important situation we face.

However, the truth does come out about his “all of the above” approach.

Congressman Brown had the opportunity to again “risk” supporting environmentally responsible domestic energy production and failed. H.R. 6516, or the Drill Responsibly in Leased Lands Act of 2008 would have amended the Naval Petroleum Reserves Production Act of 1976 to require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct an expeditious environmentally responsible program of competitive leasing of oil and gas in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. Congressman Brown voted no on this bill, which led to the failure to attain the necessary two-thirds margin needed to pass this bill that would have required energy companies to drill for oil and gas in areas where licenses have already been acquired.

The one place I did see where Congressman Brown stuck to his “all of the above” approach? He voted no with all of our S.C. Republican representatives.

Don’t be fooled by the talk. The Democratic-led Congress is doing all it can to solve this problem. It’s up to Republicans to live up to what they tell the voters of South Carolina and the United States of America.