Energy Policy Act of 2005
ENERGY POLICY ACT OF 2005 -- (House of Representatives - April 21, 2005)
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Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I thank the able gentleman from Cleveland and say that the north coast of Ohio is well represented here today as we help America, through the Kucinich-Kaptur amendment, take another small step for humankind toward energy independence.
This program is budget neutral. All it does is it allows for 30 communities in our country to adapt alternatively fueled vehicles in their public fleets, as well as some of the infrastructure to support it. It allows for those competitive grants to be in the amount up to $15 million as opposed to $20 million. So we reduce the actual amount, and we increase the number of communities, so we at least have an additional 30. It allows greater energy security, greater economic security and, without a doubt, greater environmental security.
I want to say thank you to the gentleman, who has been such a leader on this issue, the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Kucinich), for Cleveland and for our country. It is important to think about new ways of doing things, to close the book on the 20th century, the petroleum age, and move toward a new energy age for America and the world.
Sixty-two percent of what powers our vehicles today is imported, that is, two-thirds. This is not a sustainable position for the United States, particularly when spot markets in oil are ringing in at over $50, and $55 a barrel. Every family in America is feeling the pain of this. So this program will help us move forward millions of vehicles in the public realm that can help us transition to a new age of energy independence.
I am very sensitive to the gentleman's time and do not want to impose.
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Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, I would just say, along with what the gentleman has stated for the record, there are over 140 million cars and 85 million trucks on our highways. And today 3,300,000 of those cars and trucks all already are on our highways running on 85 percent ethanol. If we but use our fleets in a wiser way and help transition to these new fuels, we can make a difference in the pockets of every single American and leave a better world to our children.
Today, there are 187,000 retail locations in our country from which we purchase our fuels, but only 400 stations across 38 States sell E-85. I want to buy. I just said to the head of GM, who came here to Washington this week, to the Auto Caucus event, I said, Sir, I want to buy a GM Malibu powered by ethanol. Do you sell it? And even if I bought it, could I go to Toledo and buy the fuel?
He said, "I do not think I have that yet." I said, "Can you go back to Detroit and figure that one out for me?"
I know that the Jeep Liberty that is rolling off the lines in Toledo today has, for the first time in U.S. history, a 5 percent biodiesel blend as original equipment, called B-5. Someday we are going to get that up to B-20, and the farms in Ohio that surround the cities that some of us live in are going to provide that fuel. And that money is going to be going in their pockets. We are going to have a new fuel-based age in this Nation.
I get pretty excited about this, because I have seen the future and it is in Ohio, and it is in Iowa, and it is in Nebraska.
Mr. BARTON of Texas. Mr. Chairman, if the gentlewoman will yield, it is in Texas.
Ms. KAPTUR. Mr. Chairman, it is definitely in Texas. And we want to be able to use that fuel in a new way.
So we thank the gentleman for allowing the amendment to be offered, I would hope that we would get favorable consideration by the committee or when we come to the floor for a vote.
So we would urge consideration and support of the Kaptur-Kucinich amendment, which is future-oriented, budget-neutral, and helps move America to a new biofuel age.
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