[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 38 (Wednesday, March 21, 2001)]
[House]
[Page H1043]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              PRESIDENT BUSH'S ANTI-ENVIRONMENTAL BEHAVIOR

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Shimkus). Under a previous order of the 
House, the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Woolsey) is recognized for 
5 minutes.
  Ms. WOOLSEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise this afternoon to highlight some of 
the serious shortcomings in the Bush administration's environmental 
arena as it relates to national energy plans.
  Last month, President Bush stood before Congress in these very 
Chambers and spoke to the American people, saying he would pursue 
alternative energy sources and environmentally sound policies to help 
solve our energy crisis. In fact, I want to quote the President because 
he told us, and I quote, ``We can promote alternative energy sources 
and conservation, and we must.'' He was so right. At the time, I 
thought the plan sounded too good to be true. Unfortunately, with the 
recent release of the administration's budget blueprint, I realize that 
it was too good to be true.
  Sadly, the Bush administration's budget blueprint reneges on the 
commitments the President made to pursue renewable energy sources. 
Headlines in the Washington Post and other newspapers across the 
country have stated the administration's intent to cut energy 
efficiency and renewable energy R&D and technology development programs 
by 35 percent. That is unacceptable, Mr. Speaker.
  This is especially frustrating because in this Congress we have an 
impressive group of bipartisan support for renewables. As the lead 
Democrat on the Subcommittee on Energy of the Committee on Science, I 
am personally working with the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Bartlett), 
the chairman, to promote environmentally sound priorities.
  Mr. Speaker, if the 35 percent cut in the blueprint were to go 
through, it would seriously hamper efforts to develop improved and 
lower cost solar energy; it would hamper wind power investment, 
bioenergy and geothermal energy technologies.

                              {time}  1315

  This is where our Federal priorities must be, not in increasing our 
dependence on fossil fuels, as the administration appears to want in 
its policies.
  It is said that actions speak louder than words, Mr. Speaker. That is 
why I am outraged. But I am not surprised. I am not surprised that the 
administration's commitment to environmentally friendly sources of 
energy lasted only as long as the television cameras were rolling.
  I say to our President, now is not the time to cut funding for 
national energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. Now is the 
time to increase the investment. Proposing to cut funding for vital 
energy efficiency and renewable energy programs would be a step in the 
very wrong direction, and it would be a serious blow to the efforts 
that we hope to take to craft a sensible national energy policy.
  In my district, as well as across California, consumers and 
businesses are facing electric and gas bills two or three times higher 
than those of last year. California is facing an electricity 
reliability crisis that threatens our State's economy. What we need is 
responsible energy policy that includes significant investment in clean 
energy sources to supplement electric supply, and we also must 
recognize the need to reduce demand for electricity by promoting and 
using more efficient energy technologies. These are programs that will 
protect our environment and leave a better future for our children.
  Since passing the National Energy Policy Act in 1992, Congress has 
generally ignored energy issues; but the power problems in California, 
as well as the increased price of natural gas and oil throughout our 
entire Nation, have brought energy back to the top of our Nation's 
agenda. The energy shortage we are experiencing in California is proof 
enough that Congress must raise the stakes in search of alternative 
energy sources. Obviously, what we are doing now is not good enough.
  As Congress and this administration forges a long-term energy plan, 
it is imperative that we make a true commitment to alternative energy 
sources, efficiency, and conservation to prevent future energy crises 
and to protect our environment. Measures of this kind can work. For 
example, in my district two of my counties are working to make sure we 
have more energy-efficient programs, programs that must be modeled for 
the rest of the country.

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