A New Direction

A NEW DIRECTION -- (House of Representatives - January 18, 2007)

Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, today we are going to discuss energy and a new direction.

The Speaker has set a vision to get us off our oil addiction. And in order to do that, we have got to find some money to begin to develop alternative energy sources.

Now, the newspapers today are filled with stories about why we are still in Iraq. We are trying to get a law passed over there that puts in production sharing agreements with the big oil companies of this country. We are trying to get a hold of the Iraqis' oil. We want to take 70 percent of the profits at the beginning.

Now, no Iraqi who has any nationalist feelings is going to sign that, and that is why we are still there 4 years later. We are till trying to get a hold of their oil and control it.

This country has to take the beginning step today, with H.R. 6, to get us off this oil addiction. Alternative energy, whether you are talking solar or wind or biomass or bio diesel, all these are ways that Americans can use for energy and we don't have to live off the rest of the world. We get 3 percent of our oil from the United States. All the rest comes from outside. We are totally dependent on it.

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