[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 66 (Wednesday, May 24, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H3216-H3217]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   GAS PRICES AND ENERGY INDEPENDENCE

  Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take the time 
of the gentleman from Illinois.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Without objection, the gentleman from North 
Carolina (Mr. Etheridge) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  There was no objection.
  Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, as the Memorial Day Weekend approaches, 
with the unofficial kickoff of the summer driving season, I rise this 
evening to say a few words about the energy crisis in this country.
  Specifically, I urge this Congress to take immediate action to crack 
down on price gouging of gasoline and develop alternative fuels to free 
Americans from the grip of foreign oil. Over the past several weeks and 
months, gas prices have skyrocketed across the country.
  Middle class families who were already feeling economic pressure of 
the rising cost of health care and college expenses are getting 
squeezed tighter still due to the higher price of gasoline.
  According to the AAA fuel gauge report, my North Carolina neighbors 
are paying nearly $3 a gallon for gas. I know I paid that much when I 
stopped and got gas on Monday and filled my car up. Now, as a former 
full-time small businessman for almost 20 years, I take no back seat to 
anyone in support of free enterprise market capitalism.
  But the gasoline price gouging of American citizens must stop. 
Unfortunately, the administration has chosen to turn a blind eye to 
this urgent problem. Just yesterday, the head of the Federal Trade 
Commission argued against a new Federal law against price gouging by 
the oil companies and suggested that they be allowed to continue to 
reap the profits of American consumer's pain at the pump.
  I am proud that my colleagues and I have introduced the Federal 
Response to Energy Emergency or FREE Act. I am pleased this House has 
passed this important legislation. I hope the administration will end 
its opposition and the Senate will put this into law shortly.
  Over the long term, Mr. Speaker, Congress must exercise visionary 
leadership to pass policies that are innovative to secure America's 
energy independence.
  Last month I hosted a summit on biofuels in my Congressional district 
to explore policy options to grow our way out of this energy dependence 
we have. This event featured local, State and national experts on 
energy, biofuel producers and State government officials.
  We examined the current state of the biofuel development and explored 
how North Carolina as the third largest agricultural producing state 
can become a leader in biofuel production.
  What we found is that we have the technology to make our own fuel 
from the products we grow in our fields today. For example, soybeans 
are the largest crop in my State of North Carolina, making up about 25 
percent of the total acreage in our State.
  We have the answers to our fuel crisis growing in our fields across 
America. In addition to the biofuels summit, I recently discussed this 
topic with the Second District Youth Advisory Committee, a group of 
young people. And let me tell you that these young people get it. They 
inherently understand that the U.S. reliance on imported fossil fuels 
is unsustainable and leaves us

[[Page H3217]]

vulnerable to developments far from our borders and not under our 
control.
  Mr. Speaker, as a Member of the House Agricultural Committee and co-
chair of the House Democratic Rural Working Group, I know firsthand 
that rural Americans feel this pain when they go to the pumps. But 
rural America will benefit from legislation my colleagues and I have 
introduced to encourage biofuel production and the usage of it in the 
United States.
  Specifically this legislation will, one, increase production of 
American-made biofuels. Double the percentage of renewable fuels sold 
in America in 6 years, make sure that biodiesel and cellulosic sources 
are the key parts of that increase, and extends tax credits for ethanol 
and biodiesel through 2015, and increases tax benefits to small ethanol 
producers.
  Mr. Speaker, in addition, the bill will expand the market for and the 
distribution of biofuels, invest in research and development to improve 
the use of renewable energy. And, finally, the bill will encourage 
local domestic ownership through Federal incentives to small ethanol 
and biofuel plants so that independent locally-owned facilities that 
produce biofuels can grow and thrive, improving our rural communities 
and creating jobs.
  Mr. Speaker, I hope when Congress returns from the Memorial Day 
district work period that this House will pass this legislation to 
invest in America's energy independence.
  I hope the administration will put the power of the Federal 
Government to work for the American people suffering at the gas pump, 
rather than the big oil CEOs enjoying record profits at their expense.

                          ____________________