Let's Vote on Energy Legislation

Press Release

U.S. Congressman Tim Walberg (R-MI) this morning delivered the following speech on the House floor. Video of the speech is available at http://walberg.house.gov/blog/?p=241.

"This past weekend I met a single mother in my south-central Michigan district who drives an hour each way to the hospital where she works. Because of high gas prices, this woman recently requested and received permission to begin working back to back 8 hour shifts, two days per week, so she doesn't have to make the hour long commute each day.
"Unfortunately, situations like these are becoming more and more common as gas prices continue to rise and Congressional leadership continues to resist action. High gas prices demand action from Congress, and we need to put all energy options on the table. We need more production of American energy, more energy from alternative fuel sources and an increase in innovative solutions like coal-to-liquids technology.
"Just as with the Manhattan Project or the race to the moon, breaking our dependence on foreign oil should be a national priority.
"Unfortunately, House Leadership will not even let this House vote on an energy plan that increases American energy production. Important bills like the No More Excuses Energy Act are ready to help American families, and my constituents call for a vote on these bills now."

Walberg supports H.R. 2208, the Coal-to-Liquid Fuel Act. The bipartisan bill, introduced by Representatives Rick Boucher (D-VA) and John Shimkus (R-IL), would bring down pump prices by encouraging the use of clean coal-to-liquid technology to produce alternative transportation fuels.

The bill would authorize the Secretary of Energy to help with coal-to-liquid projects that produce innovative transportation fuel, which would increase production of clean American energy.

Walberg also introduced a discharge petition in June to bring the No More Excuses Energy Act, legislation to increase U.S. energy production and invest in alternative sources of energy, to the House floor for a vote. House rules state that a discharge petition must have 218 signatures (a simple majority) in order to bring a bill to the floor for a vote. 153 members have signed the petition so far.

The No More Excuses Energy Act (H.R. 3089):
- Encourages new refinery construction and makes federal lands available for refinery construction.
- Reduces green house emissions by encouraging the capture of CO2 from marginal oil wells.
- Boosts alternative energy development by extending the Wind Production Tax Credit for 10 years.
- Lifts the Congressional Moratoria on exploring the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), potentially providing 17 billion barrels of oil.
- Opens the ANWR to responsible exploration, potentially producing nearly a million barrels per day for several decades.
- Encourages investment in a much-needed industrial base for building modern nuclear power plants

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