[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 61 (Wednesday, May 5, 2004)]
[Senate]
[Page S4860]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        PASSING THE ENERGY BILL

  Mrs. HUTCHISON. I want to address the energy issue. I heard Senators 
on the floor earlier today talking about the high price of gasoline, as 
if it is the President's fault. I would remind everyone we have an 
energy bill we are two votes short of having cloture to pass. We passed 
it in the Senate. We passed it in the House. We have 58 votes to move 
it forward and we can't get the 60 votes it takes to break a 
filibuster. I ask the Senators who are concerned about high energy 
prices if they would consider voting to get the energy conference 
report agreed to so the President can sign it because it is a bill that 
will provide incentives for exploring, incentives for creating new 
energy resources, incentives for bringing Alaska gas down--which will 
be a huge help toward self-sufficiency in our country. It has 
incentives for renewable fuel, for the kind of fuel that will be 
burning clean, such as nuclear powerplants, and to have clean coal-
burning and other new technologies.
  There is so much in the Energy bill that would bring our country into 
self-sufficiency and we can't get the Energy bill passed. I think 
Congress should take the responsibility to see this bill goes through. 
We have tried to pass an energy bill for 10 years and we need to do it. 
We need to take control ourselves. It is time for us to do this for the 
American people. The high price of gasoline is set at our feet, and we 
can do something about it.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Minnesota.

                          ____________________