"On Long Island, we are all feeling the sting of our nation's energy crisis. Whether we are filling our cars with gas or paying to heat and cool our homes, we are spending more money than ever before to meet our energy needs.

"Last week, I voted for H.R. 6899, the Comprehensive American Energy Security and Consumer Protection Act which offers real solutions by ending subsidies to big oil companies, expanding domestic production of oil, gas and renewable energy, promoting good jobs here in America and requiring oil companies to pay what it owes taxpayers.

"The bill allows for responsible drilling in the waters off the outer continental shelf and calls for the release of oil from the nation's Strategic Petroleum Reserves. H.R. 6899 also requires oil companies to drill on the 68 million acres of federal lands on which they already hold leases. This is important because they need to work with what they already have before they go out to prospect for new areas to drill.

"Finally, the bill has been crafted to bring down energy costs in a real and meaningful way, while finding ways to make our energy consumption more green and sustainable.

"There is no question that we need relief from the spike in energy costs. While there has been a lot of discussion on what the best approach would be, I have said for months that we need to keep all options on the table when looking for a solution. We have all heard the arguments on whether we should drill for more oil or not and while there is merit to both approaches, the truth is that there is no single quick fix to our energy problems. We need to find ways to address our nation's energy crisis that answer our short-term needs of bringing down energy prices, while creating policies that will also provide long-term solutions to our increasing energy needs.

"That's why I was proud to vote for H. R. 6899 and offer Americans a fair and comprehensive energy policy that will address both our long-and short-term needs responsibly while creating policies that will help us break free from our dependence on foreign oil."