[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 88 (Friday, June 22, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6657-S6658]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                 ENERGY

  Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I rise to discuss a matter I know is 
very close to the interests and the heart of my colleague who occupies 
the chair. That is the issue of energy.
  As we look at energy in view of the calendar, it is quite obvious 
that while energy appears to be the No. 1 issue in the minds of most 
Americans today, it certainly is not on the minds of the leadership in 
the Senate body. Energy is not even on the calendar.
  It is my understanding, after the Patients' Bill of Rights, we will 
probably go to a supplemental. We may have the minimum wage, any number 
of things. Energy is not on the list.
  I can only allude to what I assume is a political evaluation that 
somehow the Democrats are better off not working in a bipartisan manner 
to address the corrections that are going to be needed to bring about 
relief from this energy crisis but would rather object to any action 
being taken as they blame our President and his association with the 
energy industry as the cause of some of the problems associated with 
energy in this country.
  When you think about it, you might say the Democrats are waging a war 
against the prosperity and freedoms associated with the character of 
this country.
  The character of this country, to a large degree, is directly 
associated with a standard of living. That standard of living is based 
on affordable energy and a plentiful supply. Energy really powers our 
Nation's freedom, our national security. It gives us the flexibility to 
live our lives as we choose, to pursue our hopes and our goals. Energy 
powers the workplace, moves the economy, moving it forward and bringing 
all of us along with it.
  As we know, as evidenced by the polls, the energy supply and price of 
energy are all part of the energy crisis in this country. Supplies are 
threatened, costs are rising, and the resulting crisis is undermining 
our economy.
  When an issue of this magnitude touches so many families in so many 
ways, Congress simply must act. We must do what we can to help provide 
solutions to the crisis. But now with the change of leadership, what we 
seem to have on the other side is a lack of interest in even including 
energy on the agenda. We have asked the Democratic leadership time and 
time again to schedule on the calendar time so we can debate the 
comprehensive energy bills that have been introduced. These bills are 
pending in the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, where I am 
now the ranking member. But the reality is we can't seem to move or get 
any time agreement or any priority in this body.
  It is amazing that the emphasis seems to be blaming our President--a 
President who has proposed a methodology to fix it. He has developed 
from his energy task force report specific recommendations. One of the 
more interesting things is the manner in which some in the media are 
coming to the general assumption that there really isn't a shortage at 
all, and that this is something that has been trumped up by the oil 
industry, big oil, with the knowledge and support of the President.
  How ridiculous, Mr. President. I have a chart here that shows why 
things are different, why this crisis exists. Anybody who suggests 
there is no crisis is not being realistic.
  This is America's energy crisis today. It starts with our increased 
dependence on foreign oil. We are importing 56 percent of the total oil 
we consume in this country. In 1973, when we had gas lines around the 
block, when we had the Arab oil embargo, as a consequence of that, we 
were 37-percent dependent. We created a Strategic Petroleum Reserve. We 
felt that we never wanted to exceed 50 percent in imports because it 
would affect national security. Now we are 56-percent dependent and the 
Department of Energy says that it will be 66 percent by 2010.
  Secondly, natural gas--which we have taken for granted for a long, 
long time--was about $2.16 per thousand cubic feet 14 months ago. Today 
it is $4, $5, $6. It has quadrupled. We are looking for electric energy 
from the resource of gas. So that has changed.
  The nuclear industry--well, we haven't built a new nuclear plant in 
more than 10 years--nearly 20 years. We licensed a plant approximately 
10 years ago. We are not doing anything in nuclear.
  We are concerned about air quality and emissions and we are concerned 
about Kyoto, global warming, climate

[[Page S6658]]

change. What particular source of energy contributes more relief and 
does not emit any emissions of any consequence? Nuclear energy. The 
nuclear industry contributes 22 percent of the power generated in this 
country. We haven't done a thing in that area.
  When we talk about gasoline prices, why are they so high? Obviously, 
it is the law of supply and demand. Even Congress can't change that. We 
haven't built a new refinery in 25 years. The last new one was built in 
my State of Alaska. The demand is up and we have more people driving.

  An interesting thing to notice, while we have other sources of energy 
for power generation, is that America moves on oil. I wish we had 
another alternative, but we don't. Our ships, our trains, trucks, cars, 
airplanes--we don't fly in and out of Washington, DC, on hot air. 
Somebody has to drill the oil and refine it and transport it and put it 
in the airplanes, and so forth.
  My point is clear. We don't have any other alternative for energy to 
move America, other than oil at this time. The technology simply 
doesn't exist.
  We haven't built a new coal-fired plant in this country since 1995. 
Suddenly, we find that our electric transmission lines haven't been 
expanded, our natural gas transmission lines haven't been expanded. 
That is why we have an energy crisis. That is why it is different than 
ever before. It has all kind of come together like the ``perfect 
storm.'' Everything has come together because we haven't had a policy. 
We haven't acted and now the American public is saying: What's going 
on? Why can't Congress fix it? Congress is pointing the finger at 
everybody and everything, blaming each other instead of moving ahead in 
a bipartisan manner.
  The Democratic leadership refuses to put energy on the priority 
calendar for this body. I find that unconscionable. America's No. 1 
priority is nowhere on the Democrats' list. I think, by holding up this 
process, they are holding up the prosperity of this Nation. One of our 
freedoms is to have plentiful and affordable supplies of energy. Our 
standard of living, to a large degree, is dependent upon that. Do we 
want to change that standard of living? Clearly, we do not. We want to 
advance that standard of living by bringing on affordable energy, 
alternative energy.
  A lot of people say, well, conservation is the answer. Conservation 
is important. We can do a better job, but it will not make up the 
deficiency that exists. Some say alternatives. Some say renewables. But 
they constitute a very small percentage, even if you include 
hydroelectric, which is a renewable. Renewables constitute less than 4 
percent of the total energy mix in this country. I wish they 
contributed more.
  I am just afraid the Democrats would rather see this energy issue as 
a partisan issue, as opposed to a bipartisan victory for both 
Republicans and Democrats. I can only reach the conclusion that the 
Democrats are pulling the plug on the energy solution, figuring they 
are better off to attack the President, the White House, big oil, than 
to address the problem. If they do, we are all going to be left in the 
dark.
  I thank the Chair, and I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a 
quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Corzine). Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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