Williams: ANWR drilling 'best first step' for U.S. energy independence

While Nancy Pelosi and her Democratic doormats in Congress continue to block efforts to increase U.S. domestic oil supply, a group of GOP Congressmen and candidates recently visited Alaska to see for themselves if drilling in ANWR would help ease the nation's energy crunch.

One of the people making the trip was Craig Williams, the Republican candidate for the Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District, a seat held by liberal Joe Sestak.

Williams' conclusion from the fact-finding trip?

From an op-ed column by Williams:

ANWR is not the answer to our energy needs, but it is the best first-step. The area being proposed for drilling makes up less than one half of one percent of the coastal plain of ANWR — an area that is a barren, frozen tundra 8 to 9 months of the year. Modern technology will also allow us to reduce the size of any new drilling operation and minimize impacts on the environment. In addition, I heard from local leaders who overwhelmingly support drilling in ANWR — and these are people who live there and know the terrain better than any Pennsylvanian could ever hope to.

We can recover critical oil and natural gas from ANWR in well under the 10 years that Democrats tell us it will take. Now we have to convince the Democrats in Congress ... or vote them out. They are the only thing standing between us and economic relief and independence. It is time to take control of our own country. Our future security demands it.

Read the full column at The Phoenix's Web site.

For more about Williams, visit his campaign Web site.