Democratic leadership shut down Congress without addressing the pressing energy crisis.

For the past 30 years or so, the federal government has enacted an agenda driven by environmentalists which has had the illogical effect of making us more dependent on foreign oil producers, while raising our energy costs.

These policies have also had the effect of stifling almost all domestic energy production, including hydroelectric, nuclear power, and oil refineries and production.

I like to call it the “No Energy Policy.”

It seems there are forces of opposition at play in a deliberate attempt to raise and keep energy prices high. It seems, by denying American industries and workers the availability of abundant and affordable energy, this effort has the effect of substantially lowering your standard of living.

Those opponents of our economic freedom have come up with the most ludicrous arguments, often based on the hypothetical eradication of a location-specific “endangered species” to stop major projects in their tracks.

Right now what is being threatened is your own natural habitat – a heated home this coming winter.

For some strange and unknown reason, folks in the Northeast prefer to heat their homes with a commodity which they do not possess as a natural resource, and which they otherwise love to hate – oil.

K-1 and No. 2 heating oil are refined somewhere else, probably in the United States, from crude oil imported from somewhere else, probably outside the United States.

Recently on the world market, crude oil hit a high of around $140 a barrel. As a result, we have seen the cost of gasoline, diesel and heating oils practically double to between $4 and $5 a gallon.

In the past, Congress, in its infinite wisdom, has made it illegal to develop the huge domestic oil deposits known to exist in the United States. They recently enacted a ban on the development of oil shale resources in parts of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming in the so-called Green River Formation.

By the way, this oil is the birthright of the American people, not any government and certainly no political party.

A recent Rand Study estimate states: “The largest known oil shale deposits in the world are in the Green River Formation, which covers portions of Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming. Estimates of the oil resource in place within the Green River Formation range from 1.5 to 1.8 trillion barrels, more than triple the proven oil reserves of Saudi Arabia.

Present U.S. demand for petroleum products is about 20 million barrels per day. If oil shale could be used to meet a quarter of that demand, 800 billion barrels of recoverable resources would last for more than 400 years.”

Never mind the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge or deep-water off-shore drilling.

Congress has voted to adjourn without taking up the most important piece of “the people’s business” in recent times, namely the disastrous impact current oil prices will have on our economy. According to a Rand Corporation study, heating oil prices will wreak havoc with your personal finances and our retired folks’ ability to survive.

There are some heroes to consider. When the gavel of adjournment went down, a roar of disapproval went through the U.S. House of Representatives, and a spontaneous protest began.

Although House Speaker Nancy Pelosi turned off the C-SPAN cameras, the microphones and the lights, a growing group of House members has decided to stay on the job and speak on the issues of conservation, alternate energy development and energy independence.

By lifting this ban, prices can be brought down immediately, and yes, we can drill our way out of this, just as one could conceivably eat their way out of starvation. After all, not producing our own fuels is exactly what has gotten us into this mess.

What can be done? Well, Maine’s congressmen voted to go on vacation instead of staying in Washington, D.C., and fixing Maine’s $5 a gallon heating oil disaster.

The public should tell them to get back to work.

Rep. Michael Vaughan, R-Durham, represents House District 105, Durham, Lisbon and New Gloucester.