An up-or-down vote. What’s so difficult about that, Congressman Sam Graves wants to know.

The Northwest Missouri representative believes the U.S. House should abandon its August recess, return to Washington and pass legislation to expand the area of land and sea where oil companies can explore for energy resources.

Not only would the exploration potentially expand available energy resources, the American intent to find more oil in Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico would drive down pump prices in the near term, the Republican lawmaker said Wednesday evening.

“It is a simple supply-and-demand issue,” Mr. Graves said. “We need more American production of oil.”

The congressman spoke about energy issues and other subjects at the opening of the Buchanan County Republican Headquarters in St. Joseph. About 60 people attended the event at 2601 Frederick Ave.

Despite the traditional late-summer recess, House Republicans are pressing the Democratic leadership to resume the session so a vote can be taken on new drilling territories. Mr. Graves and his party colleagues believe it’s a winning issue as Americans continue to suffer from high gasoline prices.

If the drilling legislation gets a full vote in the House, “it will pass so fast everybody’s head is going to spin,” the lawmaker said.

The congressman claimed his Democratic opponent in the 6th District race, former Kansas City mayor Kay Barnes, has flip-flopped in her stance on the drilling issue.

Steve Glorioso, director of the Barnes campaign, replied Wednesday night: “For eight years, Sam Graves has played a big part in driving our country’s economy into a ditch with his failed policies. Now to save his political hide he throws up a bunch of meaningless slogans. That won’t help Missouri families who are facing economic hardship.”

Mr. Graves, a fourth-term congressman, accused House leadership of stalling appropriations bills until after the November election, not wanting the public to see new taxes built into spending bills. He also blamed the federal bureaucracy for not coordinating its efforts to root out illegal immigrants in American workplaces.

Of his campaign, the Republican said: “This is a defining election. I have never had an opponent who was so absolutely, cut-and-dried, black-and-white the opposite of me on every single issue.”

Earlier Wednesday, his campaign announced the formation of Veterans for Graves. Leah Caldwell, a Buchanan County Air Guard member and co-chair of the group, said, “Sam can stand proudly on his record for Missouri veterans and the military.”

Ken Newton can be reached at kenn@npgco.com.