Congressman Steve Scalise, R-Metairie, along with a panel of guests, briefed constituents and addressed concerns with what he calls the nation’s energy crisis Wednesday night at Mandeville City Hall.

The council chambers, usually barren with only a handful of people during a regular council meeting, was standing room only Wednesday. Seated on either side of Scalise was the Secretary of Louisiana Department of Natural Resources Scott Anglle, Regional Director of the Gulf of Mexico region for the Mineral Management Service Lars Herbst and the U.S. Department of Energy’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve Project Director Lisa Nicholson.

The meeting was number 12 in a series of gatherings Scalise has been holding in different communities within his district to learn his constituent’s concerns and ideas. This was the first meeting to specifically discuss how the rising gas prices have hampered his constituents’ lifestyles.

Congressman Steve Scalise, left, along with a panel guests answered concerned citizen'€™s questions about the nation'€™s fuel crisis Thursday night. Shown at right is Scott Angelle with the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources. (Staff Photo by Chad Ruiz)

Scalise began the meeting by introducing the content of his first piece of legislation since being elected to Congress. The Grow American Supply act, recently presented to Congress, would lift the drilling moratorium on the Outer Continental Shelf to allow companies to tap into what scientists believe to be an immeasurable quantity of oil supply.

The GAS act would also vamp up exploration attempts for future oil while combating American’s dependency on black gold by researching alternate sources of fuel.

The most significant aspect of the bill would grant Louisiana and other Gulf Coast states considerably more revenue from offshore drilling.

Currently, he said, Louisiana only receives 27 percent of revenue from offshore drilling within a three-mile area off the coast and 0 percent of drilling revenue further than 12 miles from the coastline.

“Effective 2009, my bill would provide the state 50 percent of revenue from drilling within 12 miles of its coast,” Scalise said, adding 100 percent of offshore bonus bids on new leases would also be allocated to the state. Ultimately, he said, his bill would lower gas prices and provide a more stable economy.

He also discussed his co-authoring of the American Energy Act that would also help alleviate strain off the critical oil market by opening deep water ocean resources, developing the nation’s shale oil resources and opening the Arctic coastal plain. All of the proposals, he said, would provide several more million barrels of oil per day to the current depleted supply.

He also harped on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s recent decision to adjourn Congress for a five-week recess in the midst of an energy discussion, calling it insensitive to the nation’s energy concerns. In reaction, Scalise said he was returning to Washington, D.C. Thursday to join other congressmen in requesting Pelosi reconvene Congress.

Ultimately, Scalise said, it will be up to the public to maintain and increase the pressure on both House Democrats and Republicans to develop a comprehensive energy plan to rid the nation’s dependency on foreign oil.

“Call Pelosi’s office and express your opinion about the energy crisis,” he said. “She’s the third person in line to the president that represents the country.”

Pelosi’s office can be reached at 202-225-0100.

For more information on Scalise’s legislation, visit his Web site at www.scalise.house.gov.