Congratylations on Conference Reports

CONGRATULATIONS ON CONFERENCE REPORTS -- (House of Representatives - July 27, 2005)

(Mr. BURGESS asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. BURGESS. Mr. Speaker, it has indeed been an incredible week in this Congress, where we have seen the conference reports for the energy bill and the highway bill both completed, and likely they will come to this House this week.

I want to thank the chairman on the Committee on Energy and Commerce, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton), who worked so hard on the energy bill. The chairman was fair and listened to all sides of every argument, and I believe he has produced a balanced bill.

The fact is, Mr. Speaker, we can neither drill nor conserve our way to energy independence, and indeed this bill addresses that fact and also applies significant attention to alternative energy sources as well as hybrid technology.

I want to thank the chairman of the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, the gentleman from Alaska (Mr. Young), for pushing so long on a process that was frequently derailed by politics in the highway bill. I believe he also has got a good product and a product that we can afford. On the 50th anniversary of the interstate highway system, I believe it is appropriate we will be voting to extend the highway reauthorization act this week.

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