America's Energy Crisis

AMERICA'S ENERGY CRISIS

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, the second story on the front pages of this morning's newspapers relates to the energy crisis in America. You do not have to describe that to any American who has filled up their gas tank in the last several months. And in the weeks ahead, when you start paying your home heating bills, if you live in one of the colder parts of America, you will see the energy problems we are facing.

Of course, it reflects the fact we have no energy policy in this country. In the White House, with the President and Vice President, we have two men who have long careers with the energy industries and with oil companies, and the energy policy they are pushing reflects it.

What did we have in the so-called Energy bill signed by the President just in August of this year? A $9 billion subsidy to oil companies, a $9 billion subsidy to companies which are realizing record-breaking profits at this very moment.

Why in the world would we be sending subsidies, Federal taxpayers' dollars, to these oil companies at a moment in time when they are realizing the largest profits in history? I think every American knows why. When you go to the gas station to fill up your car or your truck, and you put that charge on your credit card, the money from your credit card is going directly to the boardrooms of these oil companies that are realizing more money than they ever have in history.

We wanted to know who wrote the administration's energy bill, and we could not find out. Neither the President nor the Vice President, who was leading the effort to create this energy policy, would tell the American people who was part of it.

This morning's front page story in the Washington Post tells us who was part of it. A document obtained by the Washington Post this week shows that officials from ExxonMobil, Conoco before its merger with Phillips, Shell Oil, and BP America met in the White House complex with Cheney aides who were developing the national energy policy, parts of which became law and parts of which are still being debated.

It comes as no surprise. We suspected as much. A lawsuit was filed to specifically determine whether the oil company executives wrote this Energy bill. That lawsuit was fought all the way to the Supreme Court, and the Supreme Court ruled that the White House didn't have to tell the American people who was involved. Now this memo tells us.

The reason it is important is that last week the executives of these oil companies came before Congress. You probably heard about the hearing before the Senate Commerce Committee. Senator Maria Cantwell of Washington insisted that these oil company executives be sworn in and testify under oath, as the tobacco company executives did a few years ago. But Senator Stevens, chairman of the committee, refused to allow them to be sworn in. Why? So they couldn't be held accountable if they didn't tell the truth.

Unfortunately, some of the statements made in responses to questions by Senator Lautenberg raised serious questions as to whether those oil company executives were candid and forthcoming in terms of their involvement in this very bill, the Energy bill, which this memorandum tells us was prepared with the oil company executives. Once again, the special interests trumped America's families and consumers, businesses and farmers. The Energy bill was written with the Vice President's direction that rewarded oil companies at a time when we should have been sensitive to protecting American consumers. Unfortunately, it reflects what has been happening in this capital for too long.

http://thomas.loc.gov/