[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 100 (Wednesday, July 26, 2006)]
[House]
[Pages H5874-H5878]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
UNITED STATES-ISRAEL ENERGY COOPERATION ACT
Mr. SHADEGG. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 2730) to establish a grant program to fund eligible joint
ventures between United States and Israeli businesses and academic
persons, to establish the International Energy Advisory Board, and for
other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read as follows:
H.R. 2730
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``United States-Israel Energy
Cooperation Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that--
(1) it is in the highest national security interests of the
United States to ensure secure access to reliable energy
sources;
(2) the United States relies heavily on the foreign supply
of crude oil to meet the energy needs of the United States,
currently importing 58 percent of the total oil requirements
of the United States, of which 45 percent comes from member
states of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
(OPEC);
(3) revenues from the sale of oil by some of these
countries directly or indirectly provide funding for
terrorism and propaganda hostile to the values of the United
States and the West;
(4) in the past, these countries have manipulated the
dependence of the United States on the oil supplies of these
countries to exert undue influence on United States policy,
as during the embargo of OPEC during 1973 on the sale of oil
to the United States, which became a major factor in the
ensuing recession;
(5) research by the Energy Information Administration of
the Department of Energy has shown that the dependence of the
United States on foreign oil will increase by 33 percent over
the next 20 years;
(6) a rise in the price of imported oil sufficient to
increase gasoline prices by 10 cents per gallon at the pump
would result in an additional outflow of $18,000,000,000 from
the United States to oil-exporting nations;
(7) for economic and national security reasons, the United
States should reduce, as soon as practicable, the dependence
of the United States on nations that do not share the
interests and values of the United States;
(8) the State of Israel has been a steadfast ally and a
close friend of the United States since the creation of
Israel in 1948;
(9) like the United States, Israel is a democracy that
holds civil rights and liberties in the highest regard and is
a proponent of the democratic values of peace, freedom, and
justice;
(10) cooperation between the United States and Israel on
such projects as the development of the Arrow Missile has
resulted in mutual benefits to United States and Israeli
security;
(11) the special relationship between Israel and the United
States has been and continues to be manifested in a variety
of jointly-funded cooperative programs in the field of
scientific research and development, such as--
(A) the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation
(BSF);
(B) the Israel-United States Binational Agricultural
Research and Development Fund (BARD); and
(C) the Israel-United States Binational Industrial Research
and Development (BIRD) Foundation;
(12) these programs, supported by the matching
contributions from the Government of Israel and the
Government of the United States and directed by key
scientists and academics from both countries, have made
possible many scientific breakthroughs in the fields of life
sciences, medicine, bioengineering, agriculture,
biotechnology, communications, and others;
(13) on February 1, 1996, United States Secretary of Energy
Hazel R. O'Leary and Israeli Minister of Energy and
Infrastructure Gonen Segev signed the Agreement Between the
Department of Energy of the United States of America and the
Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure of Israel Concerning
Energy Cooperation, to establish a framework for
collaboration between the United States and Israel in energy
research and development activities;
(14) Israeli scientists and researchers have long been at
the forefront of research and development in the field of
alternative renewable energy sources;
(15) many of the top corporations of the world have
recognized the technological and scientific expertise of
Israel by locating important research and development
facilities in Israel;
(16) among the technological breakthroughs made by Israeli
scientists and researchers in the field of alternative,
renewable energy sources are--
(A) the development of a cathode that uses hexavalent iron
salts that accept 3 electrons per ion and enable rechargeable
batteries to provide 3 times as much electricity as existing
rechargeable batteries;
(B) the development of a technique that vastly increases
the efficiency of using solar energy to generate hydrogen for
use in energy cells; and
(C) the development of a novel membrane used in new and
powerful direct-oxidant fuel cells that is capable of
competing favorably with hydrogen fuel cells and traditional
internal combustion engines; and
(17) cooperation between the United States and Israel in
the field of research and development of alternative
renewable energy sources would be in the interests of both
countries, and both countries stand to gain much from such
cooperation.
SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM.
(a) Authority.--Pursuant to the responsibilities described
in section 102(10), (14), and (17) of the Department of
Energy Organization Act (42 U.S.C. 7112(10), (14), and (17))
and section 103(9) of the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974
(42 U.S.C. 5813(9)), the Secretary, in consultation with the
BIRD or BSF, shall award grants to eligible entities.
(b) Application.--
(1) Submission of applications.--To receive a grant under
this section, an eligible entity shall submit an application
to the Secretary containing such information and assurances
as the Secretary, in consultation with the BIRD or BSF, may
require.
(2) Selection of eligible entities.--The Secretary, in
consultation with the Directors of the BIRD and BSF, may
review any application submitted by any eligible entity and
select any eligible entity meeting criteria established by
the Secretary, in consultation with the Advisory Board, for a
grant under this section.
(c) Amount of Grant.--The amount of each grant awarded for
a fiscal year under this section shall be determined by the
Secretary, in consultation with the BIRD or BSF.
(d) Recoupment.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish
procedures and criteria for recoupment in connection with any
eligible project carried out by an eligible entity that
receives a grant under this section, which has led to the
development of a product or process which is marketed or
used.
(2) Amount required.--
(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), such recoupment
shall be required as a condition for award and be
proportional to the Federal share of the costs of such
project, and shall be derived from the proceeds of royalties
or licensing fees received in connection with such product or
process.
(B) In the case where a product or process is used by the
recipient of a grant under this section for the production
and sale of its own products or processes, the recoupment
shall consist of a payment equivalent to the payment which
would be made under subparagraph (A).
(3) Waiver.--The Secretary may at any time waive or defer
all or some of the recoupment requirements of this subsection
as necessary, depending on--
(A) the commercial competitiveness of the entity or
entities developing or using the product or process;
(B) the profitability of the project; and
(C) the commercial viability of the product or process
utilized.
(e) Private Funds.--The Secretary may accept contributions
of funds from private sources to carry out this Act.
(f) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.--The
Secretary shall carry out this section through the existing
programs at the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable
Energy.
(g) Report.--Not later than 180 days after receiving a
grant under this section, each recipient shall submit a
report to the Secretary--
(1) documenting how the recipient used the grant funds; and
(2) evaluating the level of success of each project funded
by the grant.
SEC. 4. INTERNATIONAL ENERGY ADVISORY BOARD.
(a) Establishment.--There is established in the Department
of Energy an International Energy Advisory Board.
(b) Duties.--The Advisory Board shall advise the Secretary
on--
[[Page H5875]]
(1) criteria for the recipients of grants awarded under
section 3(a);
(2) the total amount of grant money to be awarded to all
grantees selected by the Secretary, in consultation with the
BIRD; and
(3) the total amount of grant money to be awarded to all
grantees selected by the Secretary, in consultation with the
BSF, for each fiscal year.
(c) Membership.--
(1) Composition.--The Advisory Board shall be composed of--
(A) 1 member appointed by the Secretary of Commerce;
(B) 1 member appointed by the Secretary of Energy; and
(C) 2 members who shall be Israeli citizens, appointed by
the Secretary of Energy after consultation with appropriate
officials in the Israeli Government.
(2) Deadline for appointments.--The initial appointments
under paragraph (1) shall be made not later than 60 days
after the date of enactment of this Act.
(3) Term.--Each member of the Advisory Board shall be
appointed for a term of 4 years.
(4) Vacancies.--A vacancy on the Advisory Board shall be
filled in the manner in which the original appointment was
made.
(5) Basic pay.--
(A) Compensation.--A member of the Advisory Board shall
serve without pay.
(B) Travel expenses.--Each member of the Advisory Board
shall receive travel expenses, including per diem in lieu of
subsistence, in accordance with applicable provisions of
subchapter I of chapter 57 of title 5, United States Code.
(6) Quorum.--Three members of the Advisory Board shall
constitute a quorum.
(7) Chairperson.--The Chairperson of the Advisory Board
shall be designated by the Secretary of Energy at the time of
the appointment.
(8) Meetings.--The Advisory Board shall meet at least once
annually at the call of the Chairperson.
(d) Termination.--Section 14(a)(2)(B) of the Federal
Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the
Advisory Board.
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Advisory board.--The term ``Advisory Board'' means the
International Energy Advisory Board established by section
4(a).
(2) BIRD.--The term ``BIRD'' means the Israel-United States
Binational Industrial Research and Development Foundation.
(3) BSF.--The term ``BSF'' means the United States-Israel
Binational Science Foundation.
(4) Eligible entity.--The term ``eligible entity'' means a
joint venture comprised of both Israeli and United States
private business entities or a joint venture comprised of
both Israeli academic persons (who reside and work in Israel)
and United States academic persons, that--
(A) carries out an eligible project; and
(B) is selected by the Secretary, in consultation with the
BIRD or BSF, using the criteria established by the Secretary,
in consultation with the Advisory Board.
(5) Eligible project.--The term ``eligible project'' means
a project to encourage cooperation between the United States
and Israel on research, development, or commercialization of
alternative energy, improved energy efficiency, or renewable
energy sources.
(6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Energy, acting through the Assistant Secretary of Energy
for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
SEC. 6. TERMINATION.
The grant program authorized under section 3 and the
Advisory Board shall terminate upon the expiration of the 7-
year period which begins on the date of the enactment of this
Act.
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
The Secretary is authorized to expend not more than
$20,000,000 to carry out this Act for each of fiscal years
2006 through 2012 from funds previously authorized to the
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.
SEC. 8. CONSTITUTIONAL AUTHORITY.
The Constitutional authority on which this Act rests is the
power of Congress to regulate commerce with foreign nations
as enumerated in Article I, Section 8 of the United States
Constitution.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Arizona (Mr. Shadegg) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Engel) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Arizona.
{time} 1330
General Leave
Mr. SHADEGG. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their
remarks on this legislation and to insert extraneous material on the
bill.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Arizona?
There was no objection.
Mr. SHADEGG. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2730, the United
States-Israel Energy Cooperation Act and urge my colleagues to support
its passage. The U.S.-Israel Energy Cooperation Act will help curb
America's reliance on foreign oil and increase our use of new energy
technologies.
As the gentleman knows, the price of gasoline has risen to well above
$3 a gallon across America. Indeed, it is drastically affecting the
pocketbooks of all Americans and all American businesses. It affects
every aspect of our economy; and, indeed, the rising cost of energy
threatens the American economy. That is at least one of the reasons why
the United States and Israel need to work together in partnership to
look for ways that we can reduce our reliance on foreign sources of
energy and particularly on foreign oil.
This bill utilizes the critical and close relationship between the
United States and Israel on a common area of interest, that is, energy
and energy independence by creating a vehicle for innovation and
security.
Mr. Speaker, every American is aware that the United States is too
dependent on foreign sources of energy. Every American should realize
the danger this creates for us as a Nation. The United States
Government predicts that by 2025 America will import almost 68 percent
of its oil; and, increasingly, this oil comes from dangerous parts of
the world. It comes from unstable areas, including the increasingly
unstable Middle East.
Global fuel and consumption, however, is projected to increase by 100
to 150 percent over the next 20 years, driven largely by the rapidly
growing Chinese and Indian economies; and this growth and this increase
in demand will force prices even higher.
If the United States is to protect itself from the economic and the
political threats created by this excessive dependence, we must reduce
our reliance on foreign energy sources and on foreign oil as quickly
and as efficiently as possible.
But there is a common interest between the United States and Israel
in this work. Israel, too, is too dependent on foreign sources of
energy; and this legislation takes care of that issue. It allows the
United States Department of Energy to invest up to $20 million annually
in joint energy projects between American and Israeli businesses,
scientists and academics. Eligible products include research,
development and commercialization of alternative energy sources,
improved energy efficiency and renewable energy sources.
It is important, Mr. Speaker, to understand that legislation is not a
handout, unlike other similar programs. Every single recipient of funds
under this legislation is required, by the terms of the legislation, to
pay back the American taxpayers in proportion to the Federal
Government's share of the overall investment in the project. What that
means is that if a successful project is developed as a result of these
funds and if an energy source is found, according to rules provided by
the Secretary of Energy, the Treasury of the United States will be
repaid in proportion to the Federal Government's investment in the
research involved or in the project which created this new energy.
H.R. 2730 has wide bipartisan support, including more than 100
Members of this House. It passed the Energy and Commerce Committee
unanimously. I believe it is a critically important piece of
legislation, and that that view is shared not only by those of us in
this Congress but also by the people of Israel.
Not long ago, Mr. Speaker, the Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert, addressed
a joint session of the United States Congress here in this Chamber. In
his speech to the United States Congress just a few weeks ago, he
expressed his support for this legislation, stating that ``through the
United States-Israel Energy Cooperation Act, in collaboration with our
U.S. counterparts, Israel will increase its efforts to find advanced
scientific and technological solutions designed to develop new energy
sources and encourage conservation.''
I would suggest it is not common for the Prime Minister of another
nation to call on the United States to join them in the passage of a
specific piece of legislation which will benefit both nations.
The United States and Israel are both at the cutting edge of research
in energy technologies, but we must do
[[Page H5876]]
more to end our dependence on foreign energy, and we have every reason
to cooperate. For example, in my own State of Arizona, an Israeli
scientist is working with an Arizona company on a demonstration project
involving a very fast-growing algae which can be used to power a
biomass energy plan.
By passing this legislation, the United States and Israel are
fostering a partnership dedicated to scientific breakthroughs and
improvements in energy innovation. This modest investment in scientific
research will help both the United States and Israel in our efforts to
develop new energy technologies, and it will help both of our countries
reduce our reliance on foreign sources of energy.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.
I want to commend my friend from Arizona for his remarks. I certainly
concur with everything he said.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the United States-
Israel Energy Cooperation Act. As an original cosponsor of this
legislation, I am pleased that Congress is moving it forward today. I
would like to thank the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Shadegg) and the
gentleman from California (Mr. Sherman) for their great leadership in
introducing this bill, as well as Chairman Barton and Ranking Member
Dingell for supporting it in our committee.
As the gentleman from Arizona pointed out, the bill did pass the
Energy and Commerce Committee unanimously, which shows the strong
bipartisan support that it has. We will all benefit from our mutual
commitment to this legislation; and, more importantly, our country will
benefit.
Today, the United States consumes nearly 21 million barrels of oil
per day, demands 25 percent of global oil production and holds only 3
percent of the global oil supply. This has made our Nation dangerously
dependent on unstable and hostile nations for fuel and illustrates just
how important it is for the United States to continue to build upon
partnerships with other nations for developing alternative energy
sources. Simply put, initiatives like this will help strengthen United
States national security.
Israel has always been a close friend and ally of the United States,
and this legislation simply builds upon both nations' history of
innovation and cooperation on scientific research. We have already
worked together on the United States-Israel Binational Science
Foundation and the United States-Israel Binational Industrial Research
and Development Foundation.
As some of you may remember, during consideration of the Energy
Policy Act of 2005, I had a provision successfully adopted into the
law, section 986, which requires the Secretary of Energy to report
regularly on energy collaboration between the United States and Israel.
We received the first report in November of 2005, and today's
legislation will certainly expand opportunities for us to work together
on achieving energy independence through the development and deployment
of environmentally friendly energy technologies.
As a result of H.R. 2730, the Secretary of Energy will establish a
grant program for joint ventures composed of Israeli and U.S.
businesses and academics devoted to improving and expanding research on
alternative energy, improved the energy efficiency, or renewable energy
sources.
Our Nation is long overdue for a national energy policy that provides
reliable, secure, affordable and environmentally responsible supplies
of energy for our growing economy. While the small grants authorized in
this program certainly cannot alone wean us off our addiction on oil in
the short term, working with the highly advanced scientific sector in
Israel, we can move in the right direction and affirm our hopes for
what can be discovered and created through the mutual cooperation of
our two great nations.
Again, I want to say that it is imperative that the United States
take steps to wean itself off of its dependence on oil, and Middle
Eastern oil in particular. Our national security and our energy needs
are intertwined, and this bill will go a great step in moving in that
direction.
So, Mr. Speaker, I strongly support the U.S.-Israel Energy
Cooperation Act and urge its adoption today.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. SHADEGG. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2\1/2\ minutes to the gentlewoman
from Florida (Ms. Ros-Lehtinen).
Ms. ROS-LEHTINEN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman for yielding me
time.
I rise today in strong support of this bill introduced by my
distinguished colleague and friend, Mr. Shadegg of Arizona.
This measure establishes a grant program to fund joint ventures
between American and Israeli businesses and scholars and calls for the
creation of an International Energy Advisory Board comprised of U.S.
and Israeli representatives working in tandem toward the
diversification of our sources of energy.
Today, due to our reliance on the foreign supply of oil, the United
States is in a troubling position that is quickly escalating. As
reported by the Department of Energy, U.S. dependence on foreign oil
will increase by 33 percent in the next 20 years.
What makes the situation even worse is that frequently the money
invested in foreign oil to meet our energy needs is then manipulated to
fund terrorists who aim to attack us and our closest allies.
Part of the solution to this problem is simple: eliminating our
dependency on Middle Eastern sources of energy and developing
alternative energy sources to meet our needs.
Although developing alternative energy sources, that is, forms of
energy, is far from easy, it is necessary for our continued security.
Working together with Israel on developing such alternatives and on
improving energy efficiency makes perfect sense.
Israel is a close and much valued friend of the United States, one
with whom we share a deep bond based on mutual values of freedom,
justice and democracy and one with whom we stand side by side in our
struggle against terror.
Israeli scientists have developed some of the world's most advanced
technology, contributing greatly to breakthroughs in vital fields. One
of Israel's many technological breakthroughs in the field of renewable
energy sources includes a technique that significantly increases the
efficiency of using solar energy to generate hydrogen for use in energy
cells.
Mutual collaboration would yield great benefits for both the United
States and Israel in an effort to develop technological solutions to
our energy dependency problem.
Mr. Speaker, by supporting this bill, the United States Congress will
enhance the cooperation between our two countries and will jump-start
the creative process for the development of innovative approaches to a
critical issue with domestic and national security implications.
And I thank the gentleman, the sponsor, for his time.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 6 minutes to the gentleman from
California (Mr. Sherman), my friend who worked hard on this
legislation.
Mr. SHERMAN. Mr. Speaker, there is no greater problem in this world
than our dependence on petroleum. There is no greater problem for our
Nation.
There is no greater problem for our economy than the fact that we
have to import so much oil, sending billions of dollars every year to
other countries, thereby impacting our balance of payments.
There is no greater problem for families than paying for gasoline and
paying to cool or heat their homes.
There is no greater problem for the environment than the pollution
caused when we burn petroleum, and there is no greater problem for the
environment than global warming and the production of carbon dioxide
and other greenhouse gases.
There is no greater problem for our national security than our
reliance on foreign petroleum, first, the physical security of that
petroleum and, second, the fact that the rest of the world, if not the
United States, finds it necessary in order to acquire petroleum to give
money to such countries as Iran and others who use that money for
nefarious purposes.
Therefore, there is nothing that we can do that is more important
than
[[Page H5877]]
weaning the United States and the world off its dependence of
petroleum. And the first step is research, and an important part of
that research is cooperative research with other countries similarly
dedicated to finding alternative energy.
{time} 1345
There is perhaps no better partner than Israel. For the prime
minister of Israel just a couple months ago, as the gentleman from
Arizona pointed out, stood in this hall and said, ``Both Israel and the
United States share a desire for energy security and prevention of
global warming. Therefore, through the United States-Israel Energy
Cooperation Act, in collaboration with our U.S. counterparts, Israel
will increase its efforts to find advanced scientific and technological
solutions designed to develop new energy sources and encourage
conservation.''
As the prime minister pointed out, Israel and the United States have
a strong mutual interest in advanced alternative energy research. Both
countries are on the cutting edge of this scientific research. With
modest investment, we can help stimulate joint efforts between American
and Israeli private sector institutions and academic institutions to
work toward the development of technology that reduces the world's
dependence on petroleum.
In the 108th Congress, I introduced a very similar bill to the one
that is before us today. It has been a pleasure to work with the
gentleman from Arizona in introducing this bill last year, an improved
version of the bill, and to work with so many, including the gentleman
from New York, to see that that bill would reach this floor.
H.R. 2730 would allow the Department of Energy to invest up to $20
million annually to provide joint ventures between the U.S. and Israeli
business and academic researchers both for alternative energy sources
and for energy conservation. The Federal Government could recoup some
or all of the monies so appropriated since, as the gentleman from
Arizona pointed out, under each grant is an obligation for the grantee
to pay the money back if the investment is successful and revenues are
obtained.
Now, this legislation builds on existing cooperative efforts,
including the United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation and
the United States-Israel Binational Research and Development
Foundation. These two entities have already made scientific
breakthroughs in a variety of fields, including the life sciences,
medicine, bioengineering, agriculture, and communications. Now it is
time to redouble these efforts and to focus on energy. As the gentleman
from New York pointed out, we have already had cooperative efforts with
Israel on energy and he had added language in a bill passed last year
to redouble those efforts. It is now time to pass the U.S.-Israel
Energy Cooperation Act so that we would have a vehicle to move forward
and work with Israel to use its cutting-edge scientific knowledge, and
ours, to wean the world one step at a time off the need for consumption
of petroleum.
Mr. SHADEGG. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Conaway).
Mr. CONAWAY. Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for yielding.
I want to support this bill, H.R. 2730, for four reasons. One, it
strengthens our ties between our Nation and Israel. These are mutually
beneficial ties, and it is important that we continue to strengthen
those ties on every level.
I will also support this legislation because it promotes research
across three very broad areas: One, alternative sources of energy,
increases or improvements to energy efficiency, and then renewable
sources of energy. Breakthroughs in any of these three can have a
dramatic impact on the way we use fuel.
The third reason I am going to support this is that while it does
authorize $20 million a year over a 7-year period, there are payback or
buyback provisions in the bill that allow for companies who benefit
from seed money if they develop commercial applications of this
research, they will pay this money back.
And the fourth reason is that the authors have included a sunset
provision in the bill that after 7 years it goes away.
So for these important reasons, I am going to support this bill and
encourage my colleagues to support it as well.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from
Nevada (Ms. Berkley).
Ms. BERKLEY. Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the gentleman from
New York, Mr. Eliot Engel, not only for yielding but for being a leader
on this issue and so many others.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2730, the United
States-Israel Energy Cooperation Act. We need only glance at today's
headlines about conflict in the Middle East and soaring oil prices to
know why this legislation is so important to the future of the United
States and Israel, so important to the future of the entire world.
This bill will provide the resources to enable top scientists,
academic institutions, and entrepreneurs in the field of renewable
energy to develop breakthrough technologies both in the United States
and in Israel. These two allies, through this legislation, are making a
major commitment to break our addiction to oil through the development
of abundant, secure, clean, and renewable sources of energy. I believe
the United States-Israel Energy Cooperation Act will be recognized in
the coming years as a major step towards energy independence and it
will serve as a model for international cooperation we so desperately
need if the world is to move beyond our dangerous dependence on oil.
Mr. SHADEGG. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Michigan, my colleague from the Commerce Committee, the chairman of the
Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet (Mr. Upton).
Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Arizona for
yielding.
I rise in strong support of this legislation. I would note that it
passed without dissent in the Energy and Commerce Committee some time
ago. But I also refer back to the Energy Policy Act of 2005, section
986, the one we remember so well. It did call for a report to Congress
on U.S.-Israel cooperative energy research and projects, and this bill
takes that one step further, and it funds cooperative joint ventures to
promote energy efficiency, renewable energy, and alternative energy
sources.
We have an energy crunch, a crisis. We should be working together.
That is what this bill does. It expands the opportunities for companies
and universities and different bodies in both countries to work
together to develop new technologies, whether it be solar or other
different projects, where consumers, citizens from both countries, will
benefit. It is good bipartisan legislation. I would like to think that
we can pass it without dissent this afternoon, move it to the Senate.
And, again, it was part of the energy bill that the President signed
last year. This is a step in the right direction. It is good policy.
That is why the Energy and Commerce Committee passed it out on such a
strong bipartisan vote, and I would like to think that we will pass it
without further ado this afternoon.
Mr. ENGEL. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I want to again commend the gentleman from Arizona (Mr.
Shadegg) for his leadership on this bill.
I think that all the points that have been made on both sides of the
aisle have been very important and very relevant, and that is why this
bill is really a no-brainer. It is good for the United States, first
and foremost. It is good for our relationship with the beleaguered
State of Israel. And we know that to move forward, we need to find
alternatives to oil, and this bill goes a long, long way. I am
convinced that the technology is out there.
I am convinced that we can be free of our addiction to oil, that we
can take care of our energy needs without oil. I am doing other
legislation with the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Kingston) in that
regard. And I believe that in the next decade, our attention is really
going to have to be focused on finding alternative ways of energy for
this country.
This bill is an absolute win for everybody, and I urge my colleagues
to support it.
Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
Mr. SHADEGG. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
[[Page H5878]]
At this point, I will insert in the Record an exchange of letters
between the chairman of the Commerce and Energy Committee and the
chairman of the Science Committee on the issue of jurisdiction over
this legislation.
House of Representatives,
Committee on Science,
Washington, DC, June 29, 2006.
Hon. Joe Barton,
Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce,
Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: I am writing to you concerning the
jurisdictional interest of the Science Committee in H.R.
2730, the United States-Israel Energy Cooperation Act. The
Science Committee acknowledges the importance of H.R. 2730
and the need for the legislation to move expeditiously.
Therefore, while we have a valid claim to jurisdiction over
the bill, I agree not to request a sequential referral. This,
of course, is conditional on our mutual understanding that
nothing in this legislation or my decision to forgo a
sequential referral waives, reduces or otherwise affects the
jurisdiction of the Science Committee, and that a copy of
this letter and of your response will be included in the
Committee report and in the Congressional Record when the
bill is considered on the House Floor.
The Science Committee also expects that you will support
our request to be conferees on any provisions over which we
have jurisdiction during any House-Senate conference on this
legislation.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Sincerely,
Sherwood Boehlert,
Chairman.
____
House of Representatives,
Committee on Energy and Commerce,
Washington, DC, June 29, 2006.
Hon. Sherwood L. Boehlert,
Chairman, Committee on Science,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
Dear Chairman Boehlert: Thank you for your letter in
regards to H.R. 2730, The United States-Israel Cooperation
Act.
I acknowledge and appreciate your willingness not to
exercise your jurisdiction over the bill. In doing so, I
agree that your decision to forgo further action on the bill
will not prejudice the Committee on Science with respect to
its jurisdictional prerogatives on this legislation or
similar legislation. Further, I recognize your right to
request conferees on those provisions within the Committee on
the Science's jurisdiction should they be the subject of a
House-Senate conference on this or similar legislation.
I will include your letter and this response in the
Committee Report and I look forward to working with you as
the bill moves to the House Floor.
Sincerely,
Joe Barton,
Chairman.
Mr. Speaker, I want to begin by thanking my colleagues Mr. Sherman
and Mr. Engel for their work on this bill. Mr. Sherman was the lead
cosponsor of the legislation. He has, as he mentioned, worked very hard
on the issue in a prior Congress. I am pleased to have been able to
work with him on this legislation in this Congress and now to bring it
to fruition. I appreciate his comments that he feels the current bill
is an improved version and, in any event, believe it is a very
important step forward.
I also want to thank my colleague from New York for his cooperation
and his support of this legislation.
I believe it is a strong piece of legislation that will help move
America forward and help move Israel forward. It will enable us to
partner together and to address a problem which confronts both nations
in regard to our excessive dependence on foreign sources of energy.
I think it is also important to note the unique nature of this
legislation, as has been discussed in the debate here today, and that
is the payback provision. Lots of times, government funds research,
that research is phenomenally successful, but the government never sees
and the taxpayers never see a payback. I am pleased we were able to
negotiate language which calls for, under this legislation, a payback
provision so that if any of the work done under the auspices of these
funding programs produces a financial success, the taxpayers are repaid
proportionally according to their investment.
I think it is critically important legislation. I call on my
colleagues to support its passage
Ms. JACKSON LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support H.R.
2730, the United States-Israel Energy Cooperation Act, introduced by my
colleagues Congressman Sherman and Congressman Shadegg.
The bill uses two existing cooperative efforts, United States-Israel
Binational Science Foundation (BSF) and the United States-Israel
Binational Industrial Research and Development (BIRD) Foundation, to
establish a $20 million/year grant program administered by the
Department of Energy. This program is intended to encourage American
and Israeli businessmen and academics to pursue projects that would
reduce our dependence on current energy resources and explore ways to
increase energy efficiency.
Research by the Energy Information Administration of the Department
of Energy has shown that the dependence of the United States on foreign
oil will increase by 33 percent over the next 20 years. We are familiar
with our Nation's ``addiction to oil,'' as President Bush phrased it in
the State of the Union, and the need to wean ourselves off of foreign
energy dependence and onto more efficient energy resources.
As we watch the Middle East transform before our eyes once again, we
must remember that in Israel we not only have a strategic ally. Israel
is also a leader in technology innovation and research, a resilient and
strong economic partner, and a nation that shares our interest in the
development of energy alternatives development. Israel has the highest
proportion in the world of scientists and engineers within the working
population, as well as the highest proportion of published scientific
papers and patents.
The United States and Israel share an unease about depleting energy
resources, as well as a concern of the environment, and the importance
of conservation initiatives. Although our politics and diplomacy are
clearly actively engaged on a different stage of history in the Middle
East. We must explore opportunities to increase our energy security,
and pursue scientific advancements with the American and Israeli
private and public sectors.
This venture is in our economic interest and our national security
interest.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
Mr. SHADEGG. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Shadegg) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 2730, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
The title of the bill was amended so as to read: ``To authorize
funding for eligible joint ventures between United States and Israeli
businesses and academic persons, to establish the International Energy
Advisory Board, and for other purposes.''.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________