Energy progress is stalled by politics, yet people are suffering.

There are many ways to debate this energy problem. We should have a comprehensive energy solution, no doubt.

But I don’t think we should live in an all-or-nothing world because that is not the world our constituents live in. These issues are not mutually exclusive. It is not that we cannot do one because we haven’t done the other.

How about starting someplace? We can start with the low income heating assistance program, [LIHEAP], which was born because of an energy crisis 30 years ago. We are in a similar circumstance today.

These people should not bear the brunt of our political failures or unwillingness or inability to resolve our differences. The Senate should not be a roadblock to results but a pathway to hope. What I see today, regrettably, is, again, my way or the highway.

This it is not in keeping with the legacy of this institution, which has done so much throughout our history.

It is immaterial that we are in an election year. The American people deserve to have us honor our obligations as elected officials. We all bear a responsibility, individually and collectively. We should care how Americans feel about this institution and what can we do every day to make it better. Some days, I wonder if we wake up and say: “Well, this is going to be another ‘can’t do’ day.”

We are not going to achieve anything for the people. We are going to do everything we can to be a barrier to solutions. We will wait for the next election or next year or maybe some other time.

Yet people are suffering. They are losing their jobs. They are wondering how to heat their homes next winter. They are losing their homes. This is a time for us to step up and demonstrate to the American people we can do it.

Without question, we can and we must have answers to this national emergency. That is why I thought it would be an important step forward if the President convened an emergency energy summit.

There are short-term and long-term solutions. There are many pieces to the energy pie. The low-income energy assistance program is a critical aspect of that in terms of mitigating the impact on the most vulnerable in our society.

Yes, we should pass legislation with respect to speculation. It is something most of us agree on. Why can’t we do it? There are other aspects to energy policy we have failed to address. Everybody is agreeing we should extend the tax credit for renewables. So why haven’t we done that? It should have been part of the stimulus package – and it was, to a point. But, regrettably, again, there were those who opposed it.

It could have helped stimulate this economy. It would have created up to 100,000 jobs. In Maine, we get $1.5 billion for wind projects, but we didn’t extend the tax credits for renewables beyond this year. Why couldn’t we do it? Everybody talks about it. Yet we failed to address that problem. We keep postponing, deferring, delaying, and denying that the problem exists. Yet this is something that could be readily accomplished.

The American people do deserve to have a comprehensive approach. They deserve to have their elected officials stay here as long as it takes, as much time as it requires for bold action against the problems facing this country today.

I hope we can proceed and take action on this basic social safety net for the most vulnerable in our society and demonstrate we do have the opportunity, these rare moments, to reach across the political aisle and proceed to double the funding for this program at this moment in time.

It is one program of immense value to the people of my state and throughout this country, and it is certainly at the least, at the minimal, what we should be able to accomplish.

Sen. Olympia Snowe is Maine’s senior U.S. senator. This is an excerpt from a speech on LIHEAP and energy policy delivered on the Senate floor July 24.