JACKSON, Ohio — John McCain on Wednesday called again on Congress to return from its summer recess to address immediately the U.S. energy crisis, although he missed numerous energy-related votes in the Senate last year.
McCain, campaigning on energy and economic issues in southern Ohio, said that as president, he would tell members of Congress “not to leave town, not to take their vacation or pay raise” until they passed legislation to ease the burden of high energy prices on consumers.
The idea of forcing Congress to deal with energy issues could open the Arizona senator to charges of hypocrisy. The liberal-leaning League of Conservation Voters gave McCain a “zero” rating for 2007, saying he had missed all 11 votes related to such critical energy topics as automobile fuel economy, offshore Virginia drilling, refinery construction, renewable electricity mandates, energy efficiency, liquefied coal and support for biofuels.
Last weekend, the House and the Senate adjourned amid calls from House Republicans for a vote on an energy bill that would expand more domestic-oil drilling. In the Senate, a debate was pending on a proposal by a bipartisan group of 10 to boost taxes on oil companies while allowing a limited expansion of oil drilling off the coast of Southern states.
Both McCain and rival Barack Obama have signaled an openness to such a compromise.
