Retired Marine Sgt. Major Paul Chevalier of Hudson met with U.S. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen and Kelly Ayotte on Capitol Hill recently to underscore that energy security means national security.
Chevalier was pressing his case as a volunteer of Vets4Energy, a group that organized the trip with veterans from 26 states. Part of the group's goal is to reduce U.S. dependence on "foreign oil from unstable trading partners," according to Vets4Energy. The Vets4Energy site is sponsored by the American Petroleum Institute.
"I wanted to understand why we continue to complicate our foreign and domestic policy over protecting other countries’ energy resources like we do in the Middle East," Chevalier said in a press release. "Passing comprehensive energy policy is hard to do in Congress but I explained to both Senators that it is worth the legislative battle."
Chevalier encouraged Shaheen and Ayotte to repeal the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) mandates in the Energy Independence and Security Act because he says they are unnecessary given new technologies and increased oil and natural gas production are already reducing greenhouse gas emissions and decreasing U.S. dependency on gasoline and oil imports.
Chevalier also called for expanded access to energy exploration, including off-shore.
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