[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 37 (Tuesday, April 9, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2376-S2377]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   NEED FOR A DOMESTIC ENERGY POLICY

  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. President, we are prepared--I guess at 11--to move 
back to the issue that has been before us now for 3 weeks, and that is 
energy policy. It is probably one of the most important issues that has 
been before the Congress in this session and one of the most important 
with which we will deal.
  Some important things have been with us for a very long time, of 
course, but now we find it even more important as we have national 
security issues, as we have a need for economic security, as the 
situation is changing in the Middle East that is even more pressing 
than it was before.
  One of the issues that has been with us all along is the fact we have 
not had an energy policy. We have not had a policy that has directed 
the efforts in the United States, which I think in itself is probably 
one of the most important things we can do. It is hard to make 
decisions in the interim when there is no policy that says where we 
want to be and where we want to go. We need a policy so these interim 
decisions can add toward reaching the goals we have in mind.
  We have a very broad policy before us. We have worked on it some in 
committee. Of course, the President and Vice President Cheney have 
worked on a policy as well, the House has passed an energy policy, and 
the Senate is the one which has not yet done the job we really need to 
do. I am very hopeful we will come to the snubbing post and get that 
done as soon as possible.
  A lot of things go into it. This has been covered, but I hope we are 
kind of reenergizing ourselves--no pun intended--as we come back from 
the recess to talk about a broad energy policy, one that modernizes and 
increases conservation. We all want to find ways to make better use of 
the energy we have, whether it be coal, oil, or electricity. We need to 
modernize and expand our energy infrastructure, and as things change we 
have to have an infrastructure, for instance in electricity, as we move 
towards now having more of a market segment in generation.
  If that is going to be done, then there needs to be a transmission 
system that moves the generation to the market. It is a new thing for 
us, and we do not have that.
  We have to have some diversity and talk about and maintain diversity 
in our supply so we begin to use renewables. We need to find new ways 
of doing that.
  I will always remember a meeting in Casper, WY, years ago when 
someone said we have never run out of a source of energy because we 
continue to find and refine new sources. We will continue to do that 
and indeed need to do so. We need to improve and accelerate our 
environmental protection, of course. Maybe most of all now, we need to 
strengthen our energy security.

[[Page S2377]]

  We have found ourselves, rightly or wrongly--I think probably it is 
not right--in a position of depending on foreign imports for almost 60 
percent of our oil supply. Much of that oil supply has come from the 
Middle East, and continues to come from the Middle East, and we find 
that less secure than in the past.
  Certainly that dependency on imported oil changes the decisions we 
can make, and all these factors go into dealing with that. The one that 
probably deals with it most directly is the opportunity to increase 
domestic production, which has been one of the controversial areas on 
the energy bill.
  In fact, the energy bill was taken out of the committee. I happen to 
be on the Energy Committee. We did not have the opportunity to put 
together the bill. So the bill that has come to the Senate is basically 
very oriented toward conservation, toward renewables, toward most 
everything except an increase in domestic production. Now we have come 
to a point where we need to take a look at that. It is very clear how 
much more important that is right now than it was before. We see energy 
prices going up. We see much more uncertainty in the Middle East.
  There are some good things as well. We see some new suppliers. We see 
more imports coming from Russia, and hopefully some more stability 
there. At the same time we now see instability in Venezuela. We have 
seen instability recently in Iraq. So it becomes much more clear that 
over time we really have to deal with this question of becoming less 
reliant on imported energy. So that affects not only our ability to 
carry on what we are committed to do in the war on terrorism--obviously 
that is one that requires a great deal of energy--but I think it is 
also very important and vital to our efforts to regenerate and 
strengthen the economy. The economy cannot function without energy.
  I hope we can move more quickly in resolving the issues before 
Congress. The tax package has been completed by the Finance Committee. 
There are 150 amendments pending.
  Hopefully, we do not have to struggle through all of those. 
Obviously, the question of ANWR is out there. We need to deal with 
that. That could be perceived differently now than in the past because 
of continued pressure on the notion of imported oil.
  We have a great deal of work to develop more clean coal technology, 
as coal is one of the most plentiful domestic resources we have. We 
have an opportunity to become more efficient and effective in 
generating energy and electric energy. We dealt with that a year ago, 
particularly in California.
  Wyoming is the largest producer of coal. One of the real 
opportunities in coal is producing the low-sulfur clean coal, and 
transporting that energy to other places. We can do more.
  We have an opportunity to continue making nuclear energy important. 
For anyone interested in clean air, which we all are, nothing is 
cleaner in producing electricity than nuclear power. We have not 
figured out a way to deal with the waste. There is controversy on that. 
There are things we can do. We can find storage. Looking at what is 
done in Europe, they recycle from time to time. We can work those 
areas.
  There is much that needs to be done; there is much that people need 
to agree to do to move forward on those goals. We find ourselves tied 
up over some of the elements. I hope we come together and decide what 
it is we need to do and get on with it.
  I am hopeful we can move quickly, certainly to do the best we can. 
The House has already passed a bill and is ready to go to conference. 
We can reconcile the differences. The administration is anxious to have 
an energy policy, to have an energy bill passed, and is working with 
Congress to do something to make it work while making our economy and 
environment stronger. We have a lot of energy in our State.

  The idea that if you produce and have access to public lands for 
multiple use, it suddenly ruins the land, is not the case. We have seen 
over the years we can have multiple use. We can have production. We can 
have gas production. We can have oil production. We can continue to 
have a decent environment.
  We completed a study on a portion of land under consideration for 
wilderness in Wyoming called Jack Morrow Hills. One study showed there 
were operations there some time ago, and the natural evolution had 
changed it back to a natural place. We have to be careful. We have to 
use environmentally sound procedures and techniques. We can do that. We 
are committed to do that. I am hopeful we can move forward.
  We have had support from veterans, from organized labor, from women's 
groups, from the Hispanic and Jewish community, from Native Alaskans. 
Almost everyone has been here. I had the pleasure of working with 
veterans who were here promoting energy policy. I look forward to that.
  As we return to energy at 11 a.m., I hope our goal is to complete 
that as soon as possible and move on to other matters.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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