Consumer Energy Supply Act of 2008

Floor Speech

CONSUMER ENERGY SUPPLY ACT OF 2008 -- (House of Representatives - July 24, 2008)

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Mr. EMANUEL. Mr. Speaker, July 28, 2005, the Republican Congress, the Republican Senate, President Bush, had an energy policy that they voted on 3 years ago.

At that time the minority leader said it will lower prices, it will lower dependency on foreign oil. President Bush, when he signed the Republican energy plan, said it would lower prices, lower America's dependency on foreign oil and lead to a great economic boom when we look back at it.

Well, in 3 short years, gas has gone from about $2.29 a gallon to a little over $4. By any measurement, dependence on foreign oil, the cost of energy, by any measurement or economic activity, it has been an absolute failure.

They got their way. They wrote the bill they wanted. July 28, 2005, on this floor, they passed their energy bill, and they promised you what it was going to do, and you now see the results.

Now, there is enough blame to go around from all sides. Not everybody has been perfect. We have missed many an opportunity here to deal with energy, Democratic and Republican alike.

But what is interesting now is their new line. The Republican line, as it relates to energy policy, is we are for everything. Except for you are for everything except when you can be for something.

When it came to voting for fuel efficiency standards, raising them for the first time in 30 years, 163 Republicans voted ``no.'' You weren't for all of the above then.

When it came to renewable electricity standards, 159 Republicans voted ``no.'' You weren't for all of the above then.

When it came to alternative technologies, solar, wind, geothermal, other technologies, the DRILL Act, opening up Alaska, you voted ``no'' then. You weren't for all of the above then.

The SPEAKER pro tempore. The time of the gentleman has expired.

Mr. BARROW. I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. EMANUEL. The Republicans support all of the above, except they don't have any problem voting ``no'' when it counts.

Today we have a bill on the floor that takes immediate action in helping us reduce prices. It is not a long-term policy. Reducing and increasing fuel efficiency standards for cars is a long-term policy. Making sure that the oil companies who are getting subsidies from taxpayers drill on the 80 million acres that are open for drilling, and not stockpiling permits when we could be stockpiling energy sources here in the United States, that is an energy policy for the future.

I say vote ``yes'' and vote for a new strategy that has worked time and again in the past.

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