Senator Murkowski Applauds President's Energy Speech

SENATOR MURKOWSKI APPLAUDS PRESIDENT'S ENERGY SPEECH

Saying that this is the year to finally pass a comprehensive energy policy, Sen. Lisa Murkowski today applauded the President's call for an energy bill by the end of the summer.

"The President asked an important question today when he asked if, as a nation, do we want to keep growing more dependent on other nations for our energy needs or will we take the necessary steps to take control of our economic destiny," Sen. Murkowski said. "I applaud the President for laying out a bold vision for re-defining energy policy and production in the United States.

"As the President said today, our dependence on foreign energy is like a foreign tax on the American Dream - a tax that is increasing every year. I join him in calling on the Congress to finally open a limited portion of ANWR to oil and gas exploration. Also, to increase domestic availability of natural gas, and ensure that we are not facing a foreign dependence on gas similar to what we face with oil, the time to build a natural gas pipeline in Alaska is now."

In his remarks today in front of the Small Business Association, President Bush also called for renewed construction of oil refineries in the U.S., changes to existing nuclear regulatory laws to speed domestic construction of new nuclear power plants, initiatives for new clean coal projects, money to help develop widespread usage of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, and tax credits to help encourage Americans to buy hybrid and hydrogen fuel cell cars and trucks.

"The President has presented Congress with a series of important energy proposals, and I look forward to working with the Energy Committee in considering them as we work towards passage of a Senate Energy bill," Murkowski said.

http://murkowski.senate.gov/pressapp/record.cfm?id=237004