The numbers are staggering. The impact the oil and natural gas industry has on the U.S. economy is massive. It supports:

• 9.2 million jobs;
• 7.5 percent of U.S. Gross Domestic Product; and paid
• $95.6 billion in income taxes in 2008

Many state economies also depend on the oil and natural gas industry. For example, in Louisiana alone there are 330,053 oil and natural gas jobs, accounting for more than 13 percent of the state's total jobs. Without the industry, millions of Americans would be out of work, and the United States would lack the domestic energy needed to power the economy.

More oil and natural gas development equates to... more »

Thus far, nearly 170,000 Americans have participated in the Virtual Rally for Jobs. In fact, the online rally has been such a success that it's been extended through the rest of this week (until Friday, October 1).

Among the thousands of rally participants are leaders of various organizations whose members depend on reliable and affordable energy--and many whose jobs are supported by the oil and natural gas industry. In the videos below, they have stepped forward to encourage Americans to get involved.

Karen Kerrigan is president and CEO of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, an organization representing roughly 70,000 members. Karen joined the Virtual Rally for Jobs because of the energy industry's importance to America's small business and entrepreneurial sector.

Harry... more »

The front page of The Washington Post today bears the headline, "Recession is officially over, but anxiety lingers." The headline is based on an announcement by the National Bureau of Economic Research which yesterday proclaimed that the recession, which began in December 2007, met its technical end in June 2009.

Many Americans don't agree with the bureau's assessment. A Fox News survey says 88 percent of Americans believe the recession is still underway. In Grand Junction, Colo., for example, where the unemployment rate has mirrored the national jobless figure, many residents are feeling battered by job losses and over-regulation by the state and federal governments. Several residents volunteered to share their economic stories on video tape during a recent Rally for Jobs:

In Canton,... more »

Over the last few weeks, thousands of energy workers and ordinary citizens--people whose jobs and quality of life depend on access to affordable energy--rallied together to send Congress and the administration a message: focus on reviving our economy and creating more jobs. Starting Monday, thousands more will join them in an online rally, a virtual meeting space for energy advocates.

"Rally for Jobs" events took place in seven cities across the country and provided opportunities for people to voice their concern about proposals in Washington to impose higher energy taxes--a move that could not only kill jobs and impede economic growth, but also hurt U.S. competitiveness abroad and limit our ability to produce the energy this country needs.

Raising taxes, particularly when nearly 15 mill... more »

I've got an important question for anyone in the administration who's willing to comment on this blog: Can you explain why the U.S. government is loaning money to Mexico to drill in the Gulf while imposing a drilling moratorium here?

According to information first reported by CNSNews, the Export-Import Bank loaned the Mexican national oil company PEMEX $1 billion last fiscal year and plans to provide another $1 billion this fiscal year, unless Congress objects. About $600 million in 2009 was for drilling 18 wells in the Bay of Campeche in the southern Gulf of Mexico.

Apparently bank officials are presuming that the United States will benefit by importing a portion of PEMEX's new energy resources. This nation imports about 1.2 million barrels of oil per day from Mexico. Also, PEMEX reported... more »