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| 9/16/2008 12:00:00 AM |
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| Remarks of U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert on H.R. 6899, the Democrat No Energy Plan |
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Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address the false choice being offered to America on the House floor today.
Despite months of pleas from the American people, the Democrat leadership of this House is still trying to dodge the issue of real energy reform.
We can’t expect this country to break its addiction to foreign oil if we continue to address only half of the problem, but that’s exactly what this bill does.
It includes numerous provisions aimed boosting conservation. I support them. In fact, I’m the lead Republican cosponsor bill that closely mirrors a section of this legislation dealing with green buildings.
I’m also a strong supporter of the development and deployment of renewable and alternative energy technologies like hydrogen, cellulosic ethanol, geothermal, solar, and wind.
But to call the bill we are considering today a comprehensive energy solution is just plain wrong. Instead it’s specifically designed to provide political cover to those who only pretend to support domestic oil and natural gas production.
Some on the other side of the aisle would have us believe that this bill will open new areas of the Outer Continental Shelf to offshore exploration. Instead, it discourages states from allowing drilling off their shores.
By not allowing states to share in the royalties from offshore oil and natural gas exploration, we virtually guarantee that no state would permit production off its coast.
In addition, it includes no new refinery capacity and zero nuclear energy. In my home state of Illinois, we rely on nuclear power for 50 percent of our energy needs. It’s safe, carbon-free, and could provide sustainable domestic energy for decades to come. Just recently, scientists at our national labs have developed new reprocessing technologies that allow us to reburn spent nuclear fuel, vastly reducing the toxicity and volume of waste. With this new process, we can solve the waste problem.
Does anything in this bill take advantage of the advances we have made in nuclear power? No.
Instead, the bill includes a renewable energy mandate will raise energy costs for consumers who live in states like Illinois that rely heavily on clean nuclear power.
Mr. Speaker, with gas at $4.00 a gallon and a cold winter just around the corner, America cannot ignore the pressing need to enact a true all-of-the-above energy policy. The impact of these prices on American pocketbooks is overwhelming families, and it echoes throughout the greater economy in the form of lost jobs, tumbling stocks, and financial hardship.
Mr. Speaker, we can do better. Let’s work together on an all-of-the above energy package that embraces long-term energy solutions, while also boosting production and conservation to provide near-term relief at the pump.
I yield back. |
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