[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 52 (Thursday, May 4, 2006)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4006-S4007]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                GASOLINE

  Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, there has been a lot of concern around the 
country about the escalating fuel prices. Americans get concerned 
whenever we see spikes in energy costs. No one is more concerned than 
we are in agriculture. We have a unique situation in agriculture. We 
sell wholesale, buy retail, and pay the freight both ways. Every one of 
those stages involves energy, drives energy and drives prices.
  It seems to me we are concerned about the traffic around Washington, 
DC, trying to get into work. I could take care of the gas prices and 
the traffic all in one fell swoop. All we have to do is pass a law that 
you cannot cross the 14th Street bridge with a car that is not paid 
for. That would help a lot. There would be a lot of folks finding other 
means.
  This has been a wakeup call to all in this country. We are dealing 
with a worldwide commodity that is driven by emerging economies as well 
as our own demand for transportation fuels. The demand has outstripped 
our ability to move crude, natural gas or coal to the processing plants 
and refineries.
  I tell my colleagues that in Montana we are producing more oil than 
in the history of our State. Yet we cannot get it on a pipeline because 
we have not built a pipeline for quite a while. We have also not built 
a new refinery in this country for over 30 years. There are a variety 
of reasons, the majority of which is the ability to permit and to site 
a plant. So we find ourselves not being able to produce enough product 
for the market. Anybody who took economics 101 will tell you, when 
demand outstrips production, then you are going to have the price go 
up.

  Now, I would imagine this will drive us in another direction. It will 
drive us in the direction of alternative fuels and, of course, 
renewable energy. No other administration in our Government's history 
has spent more money on research as far as alternatives and renewables. 
We are on the cusp of cellulosic ethanol, which helps my State. Also in 
this business of alternative fuels is biodiesel, which will be one of 
the great renewables. Coal to liquids or coal to diesel will also be 
one of our great fuels. This technology is as old as World War II. 
Since then it has been refined and affords another source for 
developing resources where we have great deposits of coal. In Montana 
we are the ``Saudi Arabia'' of coal and we have the process and 
technology to easily get this done.
  Now, if we can do that, and we can also increase farm income, and 
solve the problem of being dependent on foreign oil, who can oppose 
that?
  Does that give us relief in the near term? No, it does not. There is 
nothing the Government or anybody else can do in the near term to 
prevent these kinds of spikes in a time of high demand.
  So we will say that necessity is the mother of invention. We will be 
forced to drive less, to drive slower. We will not jump in our car and 
go down and buy a loaf of bread. The trip has to be necessary. And you 
will probably have a little sticker in the middle of your steering 
wheel saying: Is this trip necessary? The necessity will also drive us 
to alternatives and other ways of powering our car.
  The demand for oil seems little affected by high prices. If it 
doesn't

[[Page S4007]]

change our behaviors, then it is wrong to say prices are too high. 
Maybe we do not like it, but we all like to sell our product for as 
much as we can get for it. And that is how the market actually works 
and sometimes it becomes very painful.
  No, it is not good. It is not good for my agriculture because that 
affects the price you are going to pay for food in the grocery store. 
There is no part of our economy that is not affected by what we are 
experiencing in this country right now.
  But Americans have imagination. They have great ingenuity. And I am 
satisfied we will take this little spike in the market and make good 
use of it and start using our brains to power America.
  If anybody thinks if you beat up on the companies--beat up all you 
want to--but part of the problem lies within this body because we have 
said ``no''--resoundingly no--to a multitude of programs and projects 
that could have partly prevented this.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  Mr. COCHRAN. Mr. President, what is the regular order?
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. There is 1 minute remaining in morning 
business, at which time it will end and we will proceed under the 
regular order.
  Mr. COCHRAN. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. BYRD. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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