About a hundred St. Tammany Parish citizens met with U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., at a town hall meeting at Mandeville City Hall Saturday afternoon for an exchange of ideas about the current energy crisis and veterans affairs.

Scalise, in office about five weeks, told constituents he was sworn into office three days after his election and began work immediately.

“I did not have time for a big learning curve,” he said. His committee appointments are to the natural resources committee, which includes gas and oil, and veterans’ affairs, including veterans’ benefits and hospitals.

In gasoline-related subjects, Scalise explained that part of the reason prices have risen is that while demand for gasoline in the U.S. has not increased that much, demand worldwide has, particularly in China and Russia. Not having a national energy policy is hurting the U.S., and misinformation about the safety and drawbacks of offshore drilling and nuclear energy plants has been misleading for the public.

“It is damaging for the U.S. to rely on mid-East oil,” said Scalise. He said oil reserves are available in the U.S., and other states are willing to drill. It’s not a partisan issue, but the energy crisis is affecting every part of the country, and they should be able to drill.

Scalise said drainage and waste emptying into the Pacific Ocean from California is doing more harm to the environment than offshore drilling would, as advances in technology and energy refining have made the production much safer for the environment. Instead of sending money to another government that could later become unstable, the U.S. should invest it at home to produce what is needed here, said Scalise.

Another problem leading to increased oil costs are the lack of uniform refining requirements across the country, he said. Each state has differing limitations and specifications, and in the refining process, each state’s laws must be met. This takes time and energy and adds to production costs. This could be eliminated be having a standard refining process for all states, he said.

Some of the other discussions Scalise led involved the treatment of veterans and the slow rebuilding of the hospital in New Orleans.

Instead of having to go to a facility in another state or far from home, Scalise said veterans should be able to seek treatment at any area hospital since the Veterans Administration hospital, destroyed during Hurricane Katrina, will not be available in the area for several more years.

Scalise said he has been embarrassed by some of the things that have not been done for veterans.

Another concern the country should take more seriously is the securing of borders, said Scalise.

As voiced by veterans attending the meeting, he agreed that veteran benefits should not be cut for those who fought and sacrificed for the country while illegal immigrants are getting benefits that veterans and other citizens have paid for.

He added that illegal immigration laws already on the books should be enforced, but the government does not want to face the problem.

Scalise compared a number of problems Congress is facing with problems Louisiana has faced and addressed, such as a balanced budget amendment and establishing spending caps. When Congress spends money, it isn’t their money they are spending, it is the citizens’ money, he said. To become more fiscally responsible, Congress should enact spending caps.

Currently, there is a $9.4 trillion debt, equal to a $300,000 mortgage for every man, woman and child in the country, said Scalise. Spending needs to be capped to prevent the debt from growing even more, he said.

Scalise addressed each question asked, taking twice the allotted time with his constituents. He also said he feels town hall-type meetings and mailings to his constituents are important to keep the public informed and to know constituents’ problems.