In his monthly update on the level of foreign oil imports in the U.S., energy expert T. Boone Pickens said that based on the latest figures from the Energy Information Administration, the U.S. imported 57 percent of its oil, or 344 million barrels in August 2011, sending approximately $37.9 billion, or $849,092.02 per minute, to foreign countries, including OPEC nations that ultimately threaten U.S. national security.

The NAT GAS Act encourages the use of domestic natural gas to fuel heavy-duty vehicles, simultaneously creating jobs, strengthening our economy and improving national security. The legislation currently has 183 bipartisan co-sponsors from across the country and since May the total number of co-sponsors has increased. Co-sponsors include Tea Party members from the Republican Study Committee; the Black Caucus; and, the Blue Dog Coalition. Additionally, President Barack Obama has declared his support for using natural gas to wean America off OPEC oil and secure our energy future.

Commenting on the August oil numbers, Pickens offered the following statement:

“As our economy continues to sag, there remains only one domestic resource that can immediately and dramatically improve our situation: natural gas,” said Pickens. “It is cleaner than gasoline and diesel, it is cheaper, it is more abundant, and above all, it is domestic.”

“Domestic energy production is critical to strengthening our sagging economy and getting people back to work. We cannot continue to send billions of American dollars to OPEC nations for a foreign resource that is more expensive and less environmentally friendly. That money needs to stay in America.”

“The NAT GAS Act (HR 1380) will immediately create 500,000 American jobs. There is currently no other pending piece of legislation that will have an effect as immediate and profound as the NAT GAS Act. It is highly achievable and will improve both the economy and the environment.”

“I urge Congress to take the billions of dollars that are currently going to OPEC and transform that money into American jobs by passing the NAT GAS Act.”