The debate on whether to lift the Congressional moratorium on offshore drilling and open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in Alaska rages on in its acrimonious glory, yet one point has been mostly drowned out in all the posturing - if we need more domestic sources of oil, then why are we exporting 1.8 million barrels of it every day?

There is at least one voice in government asking this question. Representative Edward J. Markey, Chairman of the Select Committee on Energy Independence, sent a public letter to George Bush on Tuesday, saying, in a nutshell,

“Mr. President, keep our oil at home”

Oil exports increased to 1.806 million barrels per day in May, the last month for which data is available, an increase from 1.433 million barrels a year prior. In February of this year, oil exports reached their highest level ever, according to Markey. Almost 10% of U.S. daily consumption of oil.

Well, there you go. An instant source of domestic oil! No need to wait 10 or 12 years for oil from offshore or ANWR.

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