In response to the pain being felt by Americans due to $4-per-gallon gas prices, House Democrats presented the Drill Responsibly in Leased Lands Act, co-sponsored by Rep. Tim Walz (MN-1).

The DRILL Act would require oil companies to use their currently leased lands in Alaska before being able to lease new land for exploration and drilling. In addition, the legislation would protect American interests by requiring that oil from the area would not be exported to other countries.

The Minnesota Independent's Andy Birkey reports:

The vote on the bill failed to get a two-thirds majority at a vote of 244-173 (roll call). Republican Rep. Jim Ramstad joined Democratic Reps. Walz, Ellison, McCollum, and Oberstar (as well as Peterson) in voting for the measure. Bachmann and Kline voted against it.

"Oil companies are leasing 68 million acres of federal land that are just sitting idle," Walz said in a statement after the vote today. "The DRILL Act makes it clear to Big Oil that when it comes to leases, they need to use it or lose it. Just yesterday, the Department of the Interior made 2.6 million acres of potentially oil-rich territory in northern Alaska available for energy exploration." Walz continued. "I applaud this move because it will open up much of the northeast section of the Northeast National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, which holds an estimated 3.7 billion barrels of oil."

Rep. Michele Bachmann, who has called for domestic drilling in Alaska, once again proved that she favors extremist partisanship over moderate compromise. The 6th District doesn't need a representative who demonstrates my-way-or-the-highway leadership that looks out for the pocketbooks of Big Oil over the pocketbooks of Minnesotans.

El Tinklenberg has promoted a comprehensive plan for domestic exploration to increase supply and investment in technology and greater efficiency to lower demand, which will result in lower prices for Minnesotans.