[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 112 (Friday, August 3, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1561-E1562]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              SECURING AMERICA'S FUTURE ENERGY ACT OF 2001

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                               speech of

                           HON. PATSY T. MINK

                               of hawaii

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, August 1, 2001

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 4) to 
     enhance energy conservation, research and development and to 
     provide for security and diversity in the energy supply for 
     the American people, and for other purposes.

  Mrs. MINK of Hawaii. Mr. Chairman, H.R. 4, the so called SAFE Act, 
that opens the Coastal Plains of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge 
(ANWR) to oil drilling, provides mandatory relief for offshore 
producers in the Gulf of Mexico, and provides tax breaks for oil and 
gas exploration. Simply put, H.R. 4 increases oil supply instead of 
researching and developing alternative, renewable energy sources and 
conservation. This bill includes tax credits and deductions of $33.5 
billion over 10 years with no offsets. Passage of this bill will invade 
the Medicare surplus. We are on a dangerous path towards the deficit 
spending that we spent the last 8 years fighting to eliminate it.
  ANWR is home to more than 200 species that use the coastal plains as 
a breeding and migratory habitat. U.S. geological reports are 
inconclusive as to how much oil will actually be available within the 
coastal plains, and even if drilling were to begin today, it will be 
more than a decade before useable oil will be produced. H.R. 4 does not 
address the fact that oil produced right now on Alaska's North Slope is 
currently being exported to Japan and Asia. If we are trying to 
increase supply, why not ban exports on all our oil currently produced 
in America?
  H.R. 4 includes a provision to artificially enhance competitiveness 
of western federal coal to give lessees the ability to control market 
prices. Instead of requiring coal prospectors to ``diligently develop'' 
coal, H.R. 4 allows federal coal lessees to withhold production at any 
time without penalty. I wrote this provision that H.R. 4 is striking. 
Federal coal lessees already produce 33 percent of U.S. coal 
consumption, this ``produce or withhold'' option would allow them to 
drive out competition and spike prices. They could flood the market 
with coal when they wanted and eliminate their competition or they 
could withhold production in order to raise prices. This provision 
gives an unfair advantage to current federal coal lessees and is bad 
for consumers.
  H.R. 4 provides an insufficient amount in grants to develop 
alternative fuels, including fuel cells, natural gas, hydrogen, propane 
and ethanol. Ethanol should be a cornerstone of America's energy 
future. It is a clean burning, renewable, biodegradable fuel that 
reduces harmful greenhouse gasses when added to gasoline as oxygenate. 
Ethanol is good for the environment and production is vitally important 
economic stimulus to our nation's farmers. Ethanol is also critical to 
American energy security, adding volume to a tight fuel supply and will 
reduce consumer cost.

[[Page E1562]]

  There were 5 amendments offered on renewable fuels, but the Rules 
Committee made every single one of them out of order. This is not the 
way to help our farmers, our environment, and will not enhance our 
energy security.

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