(Mt. Laurel, NJ) – John Adler, the Democratic nominee for U.S. Congress in New Jersey’s 3rd District, unveiled his plan today to break our nation’s grip on foreign oil.

“Over the past seven years the Bush administration and the Republicans in Congress have failed to put the United States on a track to make us energy independent. Their negligence has jeopardized our nation's long-term economic stability and has put our national security at risk,” said Adler.

“With gas hovering around $4 dollars a gallon, middle class families continue to feel the squeeze financially, and no family should have to choose between filling up their gas tank, and going to the pharmacy to fill their prescriptions. It’s not right, and that is not what America should be about.”

Senator Adler went on to comment about yesterday’s news that billions of dollars of Iraqi surplus are not being used to fund reconstruction efforts, and that the bulk of reconstruction money is being funded solely by the United States. He said, “Yesterday’s news regarding Iraqi reconstruction efforts is disturbing. How long are we going to continue to build bridges and schools in Baghdad when we can’t afford to invest in energy independence here at home? As a member of Congress, I will call for the redirection of non-military aid back to America so that we can fund energy tax credits for wind and solar, and promote research and development of new energy technologies. This is the kind of fresh approach and innovative ideas we need in Washington.”

Adler campaign manager Mark Warren added, "We need leaders in Washington who will bring common sense solutions and fresh ideas to solve our nation's pertinent problems. While Chris Myers is out advocating for tax breaks for big oil companies who continue to report record profits, John Adler is advocating on behalf of middle class families who can't afford $4 a gallon gas. He is leading the charge for making real investments in renewable energy such as wind and solar that will create thousands of new jobs and bring real solutions to our nation's problems."

John Adler has a plan that will put our nation on track to energy independence:

Short-Term solutions
• Prosecuting oil companies that practice price gouging.
• Temporarily halting shipments to the Strategic Petroleum reserve.
• Enforcing the Gas Price Relief for Consumers Act that authorizes the Justice Department to investigate price gouging and take legal action against OPEC state-controlled entities that collude to limit the supply or fix the price of oil.
• Eliminating billions of dollars in tax subsidies to big oil companies.
• Closing the so-called "Enron Loophole" that allows unregulated speculation and price manipulation in the commodities market by big-oil interests, driving up the price of oil and natural gas at the expense of the consumer.

Long-Term solutions
• Invest in wind, solar, bio-diesel, geothermal, and other sources of renewable energy to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and fossil fuels.
• Establish the renewable electricity standard at 25 percent for renewable energy sources such as wind and solar by 2025.
• Provide tax incentives for energy-efficient buildings and appliances.
• Provide incentives to people who use clean, alternative energy and companies that produce it.
• Set new mileage standards for all cars at 40 miles per gallon
• Mandate carbon-neutral federal offices. Half of the energy used by the federal government goes toward powering over 500,000 federal buildings around the country, at a cost to taxpayers of more than $5 billion.

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