Tired of high gas prices, let me tell you how Congress can fix it this problem. Energy independence should be a goal of this Congress. Worldwide demand for petroleum has increased in the last decade, but growth in production has been relatively flat.

The inevitable result is higher prices at the gasoline pump and disgruntled Americans. The reality is it takes time to bring oil from the fields to your local gas station. And, because of former President Bill Clinton, you and I have lost considerable time in this regard.

In 1995, in the 104th Congress, House Resolution 2491, commonly referred to as the Federal Land Exchange Improvement Act of 1995, would have allowed oil exploration in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge or ANWR.

Unfortunately this legislation was vetoed by President Clinton.

That was nearly 10 years ago. And given a timeline of 7 to 14 years for building the pipeline structure, it is time that we could scarcely afford.

The Department of Energy has estimated that between 1 and 1.3 million barrels of oil a day could be derived from this source.

Now before you begin to picture ANWR with breathtaking scenery of moose and mountains, let me tell you what the region truly looks like. I have been to the ANWR. It is a barren wasteland. The vast coastal plain is unsuitable for habitation during the summer months because of its marshy consistency. Any caribou unlucky enough to calve this region would likely die from exsanguination at the hands of the mosquitoes there. In the winter it is simply frozen tundra.

The 19 million acre Arctic National Wildlife Refuge lies in the northeast corner of Alaska. The entire refuge lies north of the Arctic Circle, some 1,300 miles south of the North Pole. The area is roughly the size of the state of South Carolina.

Still not convinced? Currently, only 8% of ANWR is even being considered for development. These developments translate into new jobs. It is estimated that between 250,000 and 735,000 jobs will be created.

So we have a clear choice. We must seek energy independence, and it should start in our own backyard with ANWR. The Inupiat Eskimos who live in ANWR are counting on this Congress to do the right thing and allow them, the rightful owners of these mineral rights, to begin developing the resources that were granted to them upon Statehood in 1959. Indeed, a majority of Alaskans favor exploration and production in ANWR.

As we say in Texas "times a wasting."