Before the House adjourned for its summer recess, Republican leaders fought for a vote for an “all of the above” energy strategy which featured increased exploration, expanded investments in renewable and alternative energy and eliminated restrictions to nuclear power.

Unfortunately the Democrats that controlled House — assisted by Tim Walz — cast aside this relief plan and left Washington without doing anything to ease the burden on hard-working families. Back home in the Minnesota community he represents, Walz suddenly found it in his political interest to claim he supported an expanded energy strategy and I hoped, rather than believed, him to be sincere.

Not surprisingly, in one of his first votes after arriving back in Washington, he fell back into step with the Democrat House leadership and voted to kill the “all of the above” energy strategy as an amendment to another bill. Then they passed a symbolic energy bill which does nothing to help us become energy independent.

Walz’s history in the U.S. House shows a consistent record of voting 96.6 percent of the time with its liberal leadership, according to the Washington Post votes database. Whether it’s energy, taxes or budgets, Walz has made it his priority to vote with Nancy Pelosi and not with the residents of the 1st Congressional District.

That is not the leadership he promised in 2006 when he ran, and it’s not the leadership southern Minnesota deserves. This November we need to make a “change” and elect Brian Davis who is a leader and will push for a comprehensive “all of the above” energy plan.