[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 11 (Friday, January 19, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E151-E152]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   REPORT ON RESOLUTION PROVIDING FOR CONSIDERATION OF H.R. 6, CLEAN 
                           ENERGY ACT OF 2007

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. TODD TIAHRT

                               of kansas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 18, 2007

  Mr. TIAHRT. Madam Speaker, I rise today in opposition to the bill 
being considered before the House today that would raise taxes on the 
energy industry, encourage American jobs to go overseas and cause us to 
become more dependent on foreign sources of oil and gas. H.R. 6 can 
only make energy more expensive for the American people. And I urge my 
colleagues to join me in voting against this anti-manufacturing bill.
  Raising taxes on a legitimate American manufacturing industry, 
regardless of its size or profitability, is not good for our economy or 
for creating and retaining more domestic jobs. H.R. 6 would siphon 
billions of dollars out of the energy economy that otherwise could have 
been reinvested into jobs and domestic energy projects.
  In the past few years when fuel prices skyrocketed, I heard regularly 
from my constituents who were experiencing financial hardship due to 
these high energy costs. Farmers and ranchers were stuck with rising 
energy bills, small businesses were forced to raise prices for their 
products and services and American families were forced to spend more 
of their disposable income on gasoline.
  Rather that focusing on ways to continue lowering energy costs, the 
Democrats are intent on doing precisely the opposite. Raising taxes on 
the American manufacturing industry that produces our oil and gas is 
not the way to help lower energy costs for consumers.
  Not only could H.R. 6 lead to higher gasoline prices by raising 
taxes, but it could also bring about more expensive natural gas. Higher 
natural gas prices are a very real possibility if natural gas 
investment, exploration and production fall. Americans already pay more 
for

[[Page E152]]

natural gas than any other country in the world. Higher natural gas 
will not just be an inconvenience; it will cost more American jobs.
  Because we pay as much as 600 percent more for natural gas than other 
countries, American businesses are often at a competitive disadvantage 
when trying to compete with foreign businesses.
  As elected officials sent to Washington to represent the interests of 
our constituents, we cannot afford to pass legislation that harms jobs 
and raises the cost of doing business for domestic manufacturers of 
energy. Singling out one domestic industry and excluding it from 
manufacturing tax breaks that other manufacturers are entitled to use 
is nothing more than pandering by the Democrats for political gain.

  Instead of voting to raise taxes on energy manufactures, we should 
instead be considering proposals today that would encourage more 
domestic energy, which in turn would produce more American jobs and 
would boost our economy. We should be voting on legislation that would 
help America increase its refining capacity. We should be making it 
easier for energy companies to invest in American jobs by exploring for 
new sources of domestic oil and natural gas. Instead, we are voting on 
a Democrat energy bill that will encourage more dependence on foreign 
sources of oil and gas.
  This bill is especially harmful for small and medium refineries that 
are reinvesting their profits to expand refining capacity. In a time 
when America imports 10 percent of its refined fuel, we should be 
encouraging expansion of our own refining industry, not raising their 
cost of doing business. When we raise taxes, we discourage reinvestment 
and make it more likely the United States will become more dependent on 
foreign countries for our refined energy products.
  As many have already pointed out, the United States dependency on 
foreign oil is already more than 60 percent, and growing. When we 
become even more dependent on unstable regions of the world for our oil 
and gas energy needs, we are placing more of our security into the 
hands of unpredictable and often hostile foreign governments and 
dictators.
  As a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence 
and the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, I can tell you 
placing more of our energy security into dangerous regions of the world 
is the wrong path for America.
  I am a supporter of both using and investing in alternative forms of 
energy as one way to decrease American dependency on foreign oil. The 
State of Kansas has great potential for being a leader in wind energy 
production and being a supplier of biomass for biofuel production.
  But while our present economy depends largely on safe access to 
dependable sources of oil and natural gas, we must not penalize these 
manufacturing industries that provide us with the energy we all use.
  I urge all my colleagues who care about keeping American jobs, 
boosting our economy and treating manufacturers tax equity to vote 
against this misleading Democrat energy bill.

                          ____________________