Sen. David Vitter (R-LA) wrote an op-ed in Roll Call today pushing once again for movement on legislation he authored with a half-dozen other Republican senators to remove barriers to domestic energy production. An excerpt of Vitter’s piece: 

“…Last year I introduced a bill that will achieve what the president has called for — job creation, less burden on the family budget and a real jolt to start the engines of our economy. And my bill does it all without costing the taxpayer an additional dime. It is called the No Cost Stimulus Act.

This legislation focuses on helping create American jobs by harnessing an industry that our federal government is currently holding back through regulation. And it achieves the job-creation goal without issuing more foreign debt or raising taxes.

The No Cost Stimulus would increase domestic production of oil and gas and decrease the regulatory burden on businesses. It increases domestic production of Outer Continental Shelf resources … [a]nd it opens up a very narrow portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for oil and gas production with arguably the most stringent environmental regulations in history. It also dedicates a significant portion of the revenue created from this production to renewable energy production so that we can use our traditional energy sources as a bridge to the energy capabilities of the future…

And the No Cost Stimulus extends state boundaries so they may have more say in what happens off their coasts. Doing so provides a tool for greater production opportunities in addition to creating new prospects for individual states to increase their own revenues without having to ask the federal government to bail them out….

[L]last week I sent a letter to Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) once again bringing attention to the No Cost Stimulus and its ability to create at least 2 million jobs.

Democrats claim that Republicans have no proposals to help spur our economy. This couldn’t be further from the truth, and this bill is a perfect example. But we need the American people’s help to engage the Speaker of the House and the Senate Majority Leader in taking up this legislation. Help us have a real debate on job creation, the economy and energy independence and ask your Congressman and Senator to support the No Cost Stimulus Act.”