U.S. Rep. John Shadegg (R-Phoenix) announced Monday he will be joining three other House Republicans on an energy-related fact finding trip to Alaska, specifically to visit Prudhoe Bay and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), two sites on which Republicans have advocated drilling for oil.

"Energy is a critical issue on which Congress must make better-informed policy decisions," said Shadegg in a statement announcing the trip. "That’s why I am taking this opportunity to gain firsthand knowledge of the situation on the ground in ANWR and to learn about the effects of development.  We can, and should, access our domestic resources in an ecologically responsible manner." 

Shadegg said he is going in part to "speak with Alaskans and hear the ways in which increased development will impact their quality of life. Our group will also have an opportunity to learn more about the evolution of technology since development began in Prudhoe Bay.

"More American-made energy won’t just bring down current energy prices, it will create jobs and put more money back into the American economy, enabling investment in the alternative sources of energy that will power this nation in the future,” he concluded.

Shadegg will be joined by U.S. Reps. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Marilyn Musgrave (R-Colo.) and Ric Keller (R-Fla.), and is scheduled to be in Alaska from Monday night until Thursday. He plans to return to Phoenix on Friday.