Lucas Named to Energy Bill Panel

LUCAS NAMED TO ENERGY BILL PANEL
July 14, 2005

Congressman Selected to Debate Ag Energy Sections of Legislation

Washington, D.C.- U.S. Third District Congressman Frank Lucas has been named to be among the members of Congress to work on completing a comprehensive energy bill this year. Lucas will have jurisdiction over the agriculture energy sections of the legislation.

"We've come very close to passing this important legislation in the past, and I'm hopeful that we can finally complete this important legislation to provide a comprehensive energy policy to reduce our dependency on foreign oil," Lucas said. "I want to thank Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert for expressing his confidence in me to help bring this important legislation across the finish line."

The bill, H.R. 6, is the comprehensive energy legislation designed to promote dependable, affordable, and environmentally sound energy production and distribution. A similar bill passed the House in the last session of Congress, but died in the Senate.

Other Members of Congress were named as conferees to the entire bill. Lucas was named as a conferee to the agriculture sections of the bill, along with Agriculture Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte(R-VA) and Ranking Minority Member Collin Peterson(D-MN). Lucas is Chairman of the Agriculture Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Rural Development, and Research.

The specific provisions in the bill under Lucas' jurisdiction have not yet been announced. The agriculture energy sections of the last energy bill conference, of which Lucas was also a conferee, included grants to rural communities for energy projects, biodiesel tax credits, and research funding on carbon sequestration.

Conferees are needed when there are differences between House and Senate versions of a bill. The conference committee works out the differences in the two bills to create an identical bill both bodies can pass and send to the President for his signature. The House passed its version of the energy bill on April 21 by a vote of 249-183. The Senate passed its version of the bill June 28 by a vote of 85-12.

Speaker Hastert named Lucas and the other conferees today.

"This bill will create a balanced approach to solving our long-term energy needs, including improvements in both production and conservation," Lucas said. "We can't afford to let the energy bill once again die in Congress, while gas prices continue to rise and our dependence on foreign oil increases."

http://www.house.gov/apps/list/press/ok03_lucas/energyconferee05.html