In the past, President Obama has called for comprehensive tax reform, which is something we can all get behind. But singling out the energy industry for higher taxes is not the way to go. A much better path, and one that grows both the economy and federal revenues, is simply allowing access to more of America’s taxpayer-owned federal lands. Today the federal government leases less than 3 percent of its lands for oil and natural gas production. The federal government could go a long way to helping fix our fiscal woes by merely providing access to our energy resources.
Thomas J. Pyle is the president of the Institute for Energy Research.
Roll Call has launched a new feature, Hill Navigator, to advise congressional staffers and would-be staffers on how to manage workplace issues on Capitol Hill. Please send us your questions — anything from office etiquette, to handling awkward moments, to what happens when the work life gets too personal. Submissions will be treated anonymously.
