Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutiions
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
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By Ms. CANTWELL (for herself, Mr. REID, Mr. DURBIN, Ms. MIKULSKI, Mr. DODD, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. CARPER, Mr. DAYTON, Mr. KERRY, Mr. REED, Mr. BINGAMAN, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Mr. HARKIN, Mr. SALAZAR, Mr. SCHUMER, Mr. DORGAN, Mrs. CLINTON, Mr. LEAHY, Mr. JOHNSON, Mrs. BOXER, Mr. LIEBERMAN, Mr. BYRD, Ms. STABENOW, Mr. LEVIN, and Mr. BIDEN):
S. 2829. A bill to reduce the addiction of the United States to oil, to ensure near-term energy affordability and empower American families, to accelerate clean fuels and electricity, to provide government leadership for clean and secure energy, to secure a reliable, affordable, and sustainable energy future, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Finance.
Ms. CANTWELL. Mr. President, I rise to introduce legislation that seeks to put America squarely on the path toward energy security for the 21st Century. Today, I am joined by a number of my colleagues in introducing the Clean Energy Development for a Growing Economy, or Clean EDGE, Act.
Mr. President, this legislation is a sweeping proposal that incorporates the ideas of many of my colleagues on this side of the aisle. It is our attempt to move America forward, on a pressing issue that--as we've said many times before--poses one of the greatest national security, economic and environmental challenges faced by our generation. I am talking about the issue of energy independence, and what it will take to put America on the right track.
The legislation we are presenting today is the result of a good deal of work within our caucus. As a member of the Senate Energy Committee, I speak from some experience when I say that developing a cohesive, national approach to energy policy is quite difficult. That is because, in so many instances, there are important issues of regional diversity that can divide us.
Instead of immediately succumbing to those divisions, what we did when we began to work on this legislation was to start with a goal. Like the Manhattan Project that established America as the world's first nuclear power, and the Apollo Project that ensured America won the race to the moon, we recognized that initiatives of this magnitude must begin with a goal. When America sets a goal, America will achieve it. It takes leadership and resolve, and it takes the shared commitment of individual citizens to make it a truly national effort. But make no mistake: the people of the United States will rise to the challenge.
Today, we can no longer ignore the enormous cost of America's dependence on foreign oil. It has become a crisis for consumers; it poses an imminent risk to our national security; and it jeopardizes our long-term economic competitiveness. That is why we believe that America must strive for an aggressive goal: to reduce our national petroleum consumption equivalent to 40 percent of our projected imports by 2020, or about 6 million barrels of oil a day.
Next, we set out to define agreed-upon principles about the best ways we could jumpstart our Nation's effort to achieve this goal. I am proud to say that we were able to achieve a good deal of consensus on these principles. Today, we sent the President a letter outlining them, which gained the signatures of 42 of my colleagues. These principles boil down to this:
The United States must launch an aggressive effort designed to ensure that an increasing number of new vehicles sold in America can run on alternative fuels--starting with 25 percent in 2010--and must launch a bold initiative to invest in the infrastructure needed to promote real competition at the gas pump.
The United States must ensure that consumers are protected from gasoline price-gouging and energy market manipulation.
The United States must lessen its reliance on fossil fuels and take steps to curb greenhouse gas emissions by diversifying electricity sources to include more renewable resources.
The United States Governmment--our Nation's single largest energy consumer--must help lead the transition by adopting the best available fuel efficiency and alternative vehicle technologies to reduce its petroleum consumption by 20 percent over the next 5 years, and by 40 percent by 2020.
The United States must level the playing field for new renewable and energy efficiency technologies by providing incentives for consumers and manufacturers to develop and deploy the next generation of fuel efficient vehicles, and by ensuring that major oil companies pay their fair share in taxes and royalties owed to the American public.
These are the principles that guided us as we crafted the Clean EDGE Act. This legislation is a starting point, as we try to advance the dialogue about what it will take to put America on the path toward energy independence.
There are provisions contained in this bill that we know can garner broad bipartisan support. There are others that may not have been possible to enact, before America started waking up to the costs of our energy independence. And there are other ideas that require broader debate and close scrutiny within the Senate Committees of jurisdiction. The Senate should work its will.
But once again, that is the point of this legislation: to start the process; to jump-start the debate, and outline a vision of where this country needs to go to secure our future.
As we have come together on this side of the aisle in recognition of the need to address the pressing issue of energy security, I know I speak for a number of my colleagues when I say I believe it is possible to come together in a bipartisan manner to pass energy legislation this summer. It is possible, if the Senate decides to put politics and partisan rancor aside. We can roll up our sleeves and get to work on crafting a real energy security plan that brings out the best in America. That process would also bring out the best in the Senate.
So I am proud to introduce this legislation today, and look forward to working with my colleagues across the aisle in further developing an energy independence plan for America.
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