Authorizing the Architect of the Capitol to Establish Battery Recharging Stations
Floor Speech
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Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, I am very pleased that the Senate today is passing legislation that would allow the Senate to continue its leadership of our country toward a clean-energy future. This bill provides the authority for the Architect of the Capitol to provide for charging of batteries for privately owned vehicles in parking areas under the jurisdiction of the Senate and, of great importance, at no cost to the Federal Government.
Plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles offer great potential in meeting our goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and auto manufacturers are moving toward developing a broad choice of electric-drive vehicles. Batteries and components are now being manufactured in the U.S., and we are developing the supply chain necessary to support these home-grown technologies. But in addition to making the vehicles and components available, we also need to take steps to ensure the infrastructure exists to make these vehicles desirable and accessible to consumers. Increased use of plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles will bring changes in how we think about cars and driving. Instead of looking for gas stations, drivers will need to have places where they can replenish the batteries that power their vehicles.
This bill will ensure that the Senate leads by example as we transition to that cleaner-energy future. It will ensure that the capability to charge plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles will exist in the Senate--at no cost to the taxpayer. I am a proud owner of a Chevrolet Volt, but I also want to ensure that the taxpayers do not subsidize the cost of my or anyone else's use of electricity to power these vehicles.
I appreciate the efforts and support of the cosponsors of this bill--Senators ALEXANDER, SCHUMER, KERRY, MURKOWSKI, BINGAMAN, STABENOW, and MERKLEY--and the great assistance of the staffs of Senators SCHUMER and ALEXANDER on the Rules Committee in getting this bill passed. It has been our explicit intention to ensure there would be no cost to the taxpayer in providing access to electricity for those wishing to charge their vehicle batteries in the parking areas of the Senate, but I am pleased that we were able to include language to clarify any questions in that regard.
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