Dreier talks gasoline prices

On June 13, Congressman David Dreier stopped by the La Crescenta First Baptist Church to discuss increasing gas prices, illegal immigration and how important the upcoming November election will be. He also took the time to listen to personal stories of how the economy, especially gas prices, are affecting community members.

He told the audience that the country’s dependence of foreign oil is a warning drum that he has been banging his entire career in Congress.

He cited opportunities that he felt needed to be explored like drilling in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Dreier added that he understood that even if the U.S. Congress would approve the drilling, it would take a long time to see actual oil “out of the ground,” but that the act of moving forward on this issue would have an immediate affect

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on gas prices.

“Why? Because it’s about futures,” he said.

He added that it would look like Congress was taking control of the country’s future dependence on foreign fuels.

Dreier asked for those in the audience to share their stories on how gasoline prices are affecting their lives. Some shared stories of changed driving habits while others explained how the high costs of operating their vehicles had a direct impact on their jobs.

He also said that nuclear power is an energy that needs to be supported, pointing out that 80% of France’s energy is nuclear.

He added that the U.S. needs to build more nuclear plants to help with the energy crisis.

Dreier turned his attention to illegal immigrants, again an issue he had been warning Congress about for years he said. He stated that he did not agree with an amnesty program, even the one that was issued by former President Ronald Reagan.

He added that there is not adequate information on the actual number of illegal immigrants in the U.S.

“Today we don’t know if we have 13 million or 30 million,” he said. “I understand that the U.S. is a nation of immigrants, but we are also a nation of laws.”

He told the mainly Republican audience that it was important to get their party back into the majority to right the wrongs he felt the Democrats, and especially U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, have done.

Dreier has served in the Congress since 1981. He faces Democrat Russ Warner in the November election.