Herrera Beutler joins House energy team

At a roundtable discussion with Vancouver-area businesses on April 26, U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler got an earful about high fuel costs eating away at companies’ bottom lines.

As a result, her office announced Wednesday that the Camas Republican has joined other GOP House members in forming a House Energy Action Team to promote policies that address rising energy prices, promote energy independence and boost job creation.

“I’m excited to get to work on the HEAT initiative,” Herrera Beutler said in a statement. “Our plan should focus on increased production of existing energy sources, plus development of alternative energy — an ‘all-of-the-above’ energy plan that will meet current needs and prepare for the future.”

No specifics about what energy policies the group plans to pursue were available Wednesday. Casey Bowman, Herrera Beutler’s spokesman, called the formation of the group “an organic thing.”

“There’s not one leader,” he said. “Increasingly, the biggest concern is rising energy prices. It’s an effort to show we’re hearing this. Congress understands.”

Bowman said he doesn’t know whether his boss agrees with Democratic U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell’s campaign to curb speculation on oil futures, widely regarded as a driver of rising gas prices, and doesn’t know specifically whether she favors opening domestic oil reserves to production.

“Those are all options that have to be considered if the long-term goal is to expand domestic energy exploration,” he said. “They will be looking at any and all possibilities that will make gas and oil prices more affordable.”