NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2009--MOTION TO PROCEED -- (Senate - July 31, 2008)
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ENERGY
Mr. VITTER. Mr. President, I rise to urge action on what is clearly the single top priority, the single top challenge for American families; that is, sky-high gasoline prices and energy prices.
In the real world, in every State of the Union, families are struggling with this enormous additional burden. Gasoline prices, the prices at the pump--all energy prices have obviously gone through the roof in the last several months. Yet, even faced with this true crisis, even faced with this outpouring of hurt on the part of the American people and call for action, we are not yet acting. We are not yet acting as grownups. We are not yet coming together. We are not yet acting on the issue. I urge us to do just that and to simply act in a full, bipartisan, and balanced way on what is clearly the single biggest challenge facing Louisiana and all American families.
The good news is that at least there has been an energy-related bill on the floor of the Senate which has been the pending business that I think goes back to Tuesday, July 22--almost 2 full legislative weeks ago. The bad news is the distinguished majority leader has blocked all attempts to have an open debate and an open amendment process about energy.
That bill--his bill--about the limited issue of speculation--and I urge us to act on speculation, but we clearly must act on other things as well--that speculation-only bill has been the business at hand on the floor of the Senate for almost 2 legislative weeks, and yet we haven't had a single amendment considered, certainly not a single vote on an amendment. What an enormous lost opportunity. What an enormous example of pure obstructionism in Washington and the sort of gridlock people are sick and tired of when the country truly faces a crisis. American families face enormous challenges based on energy prices. We need that real debate. We need that open amendment process. We need to act as grownups. We need to come together and act on energy.
It is in that vein that I suggest two very specific things. First of all, in less than 24 hours, I assume there is going to be some move for us to go home for August. I don't think we should until and unless we take some reasonable action on energy. I believe it is a derogation of our responsibility to go home for any length of time when this crisis is hanging out there and this institution is failing to act. I think we should stay here and work. We should stay here and act in a fair and in a balanced way.
We should consider a host of issues--yes, including speculation, but also fundamental issues that go to supply and demand on both sides of that equation: conservation, yes; greater fuel efficiency, yes; new technology, yes; renewable sources of energy and alternative sources of energy, yes. Also, we should be doing something on the supply side: finding more here at home and using our resources we do have right here at home. So I am against going home, going off on vacation, going on the August recess--however you want to put it--when we are not acting on the top priority and concern of the American people.
Secondly, I certainly oppose moving off this topic, which has been what the distinguished majority has tried to get us to do over and over again. We will have an upcoming vote--his latest attempt to get us off this topic. He has filed a motion to invoke cloture to proceed to the Defense authorization bill. Defense is an extremely important issue, particularly in this time of war and terrorist threat. However, I can tell my colleagues the reaction the American people have to this choice of energy versus Defense authorization. They have the same reaction I have: Staying on energy, acting on energy in a meaningful, bold, positive, balanced way, is the single most important thing we can do to improve our security, to improve our defenses. Quite frankly, that is far more important for national security and for defense than any Defense authorization bill. So surely we should reject that attempt to move off the subject to take this vote and move to the Defense authorization bill when the single biggest issue that not only faces American families and hits their pocketbooks but also the single biggest national security issue is energy.
So, again, I urge us to reject that attempt once again to move off the subject. We need to stay on energy but, more importantly, we need to act on energy. We need to reject that cloture vote. I urge us to stay here and work and act rather than go off on any August recess. We must address this crucial energy issue.
As so many of my colleagues, I have important amendments on the topic. I specifically filed seven amendments. Those amendments address a number of key issues and a number of key questions, but they are balanced. They are not just about drilling because we can't just drill our way out of the problem. They have us use less and find more at the same time. That is exactly the sort of balanced approach we need, as I said a few minutes ago. Yes, use less. Yes to conservation. Yes to greater efficiency standards. Yes to new technology. Yes to renewables. Yes to biofuels. Yes to alternative fuels. Also, at the same time, yes to accessing greater supply right here at home, to accessing that energy we have here offshore, in Western States in shale deposits and elsewhere, to help ourselves rather than have to go beg, hat in hand, to Middle Eastern countries to cut us a break. We need to do all of the above. We need to act on the demand side and the supply side to stabilize, bring down prices, and help American families with this, their top challenge and their top concern.
I have seven amendments. Unfortunately, under the rules of the game that the distinguished majority leader has laid out, I haven't come near any opportunity to call any of those amendments up, and certainly I have not been able to have a vote on those amendments. The majority leader at one point offered four votes on the entire issue; none of them would have been on my amendments. He then rescinded that offer, so we are back to an offer of zero amendments and zero amendment votes.
Let's get serious about a serious challenge facing American families. Let's not only be on the topic on the Senate floor--so what. Let's act on it in a grownup way, in a bipartisan way, in a balanced way, addressing supply and demand, using less and finding more right here at home. Let's take up not just my amendments but any good ideas for debate and consideration and votes, and let's act on the single greatest challenge facing Louisiana families whom I represent and American families across the Nation. Surely we shouldn't vote to move to any other topic when we still have this tremendous challenge not acted upon.
I think we shouldn't run home for the August recess to vacation or even to talk with our constituents when this enormously important pending business is not acted upon. Let's stay here. Let's work. Let's come together. Let's act for the American people. It is perfectly obvious to them that this is our greatest national challenge. This is their greatest personal and family challenge as they try to live their real lives in the real world. We have to get that message and act on it here in Congress.
Mr. President, with that, I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.