Northup pushes drilling, calls gas prices ‘a national emergency’

Former U.S. Rep Anne Northup (R-Louisville) speaks at today's press conference: Politicker photo

LOUISVILLE -- With a bustling gas station in southwest Louisville as a backdrop, former U.S. Rep. Anne Northup (R-Louisville) invested her campaign energies today into pushing increased domestic drilling as the foremost solution to rising gas prices.

"It's a national emergency," said Northup. "Today, we are here to add our voices to the enormous concern of Americans and the people in this district because of Congress' unwillingness to allow us to drill our own oil."

Northup was accompanied at the event by Louisville Metro Council member Doug Hawkins -- a Republican running for the 37th District state Senate seat -- and state Senator and Majority Caucus Chair Dan Seum (R-Fairdale).

"The most serious problem effecting people in this community today is the price they pay at the pump," added Northup. "We need to drill starting today."

In her bid to regain the 3rd Congressional District seat she lost in 2006 to current U.S. Rep. John Yarmuth (D-Louisville), Northup targeted her opponent and the Democratic majority in Congress as impediments in the way of legislation that would allow exploratory drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), the Gulf of Mexico, and the outer continental shelf.

The five-term ex-Rep. said legislation she supported while in Congress to open drilling in those areas was hampered by Democratic tactics in the U.S. Senate, prior to the Democrats attainment of a majority in Congress in 2006.

Northup also said she took flack during her 2006 campaign for gas prices from Democratic interest groups during her first race against Yarmuth.

"They promised they had a plan for energy. How do you think it's working?" asked Northup. "If you pull up at the gas tank and you don't mind paying $75 to fill up your tank...well, you know, you should vote for John Yarmuth."

"If you are one of those people that appreciates that you had a member of Congress that, when it wasn't fashionable - when it wasn't part of what the academics or liberal press wanted you to believe -still had the courage to stick their neck out and say ‘we need to drill,' and stood up even when it wasn't easy, then I ask you to please help me," added Northup.

Last week, Yarmuth announced his support of so-called "use it or lose it" legislation that would require oil companies holding domestic leases to drill on them or face fines. Yarmuth framed his support of that drilling as an alternative to "drilling in pristine wilderness."

Today, Northup targeted this proposal as misguided, and called required drilling on these lands "an iffy proposition."

"In some cases, the oil is so scant you can't offset the cost to drill by what you're able to get out of those mining operations," said Northup.

"Is it not so strange that we would have a representative that would force oil companies to drill in all these unprofitable places, all on the main part of the continent where people are living, and we fail to allow drilling in ANWR which is so remote and we know has great reserves," added Northup.

Northup rejected the argument of some Democrats that drilling in ANWR would have a negligible impact on gas prices.

"There is literally no economist of any legitimacy that makes that claim," said Northup.

Passing legislation allowing drilling, she argued, would send a statement that oil supplies would go up, thus decreasing prices across the board.

"Every economist concedes that if we pass the bill today that allows this drilling, the cost of oil will take a nose dive tomorrow," said Northup.