[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 102 (Friday, June 22, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8274-S8275]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           PASSAGE OF H.R. 6

  Mr. REID. Mr. President, leaving that subject, which is certainly a 
subject that concerns us all, turning to the subject of this morning, 
around midnight, when we passed the Energy bill, it was a tremendous 
accomplishment for this body. As I said yesterday when, with the first 
vote, cloture was invoked, I hope that set a new tone and pattern in 
Washington, where we can work together to pass things.
  It would be one thing if the bill that was before the Senate for the 
last couple of weeks was a Democratic bill, but it wasn't. I took what 
was passed out of the Energy Committee on a bipartisan basis, I took 
what was passed out of the Commerce Committee on a bipartisan basis, I 
took what was passed out of the Environment and Public Works Committee 
on a bipartisan basis and put them into one bill and that is what we 
have been working on. It is bipartisan legislation.
  It is too bad some tried to make it a partisan issue. There is 
nothing partisan about it. It was a bipartisan bill. But some who do 
not want any accomplishments in the Senate, who resent the fact we have 
been able to pass minimum wage; drought relief for farmers for the 
first time in 3 years; for the first time since President Bush has been 
President, we have gotten money for homeland security, over his 
objection--we had tried many times--we got $1 billion; we funded SCHIP; 
we funded the Government. You know, the Republicans left town and 
funded the Government only until February 1. We funded the Government 
until October 1. We passed a balanced budget, even though our majority, 
because of Senator Johnson's illness, was 50 to 49. Republicans with 55 
to 45 couldn't pass a budget. We did, and some resent that.
  We have focused attention on Iraq, which has been unfocused for the 
entire course of that war. We had 80 hearings. The Judiciary Committee 
has focused attention on the scandals at the Justice Department, led by 
Attorney General Gonzales. We have reestablished the legislative branch 
of Government. The Presiding Officer served for many years in the other 
body, such as I did. The House and the Senate make up the legislative 
branch of Government, set forth in the Constitution many years ago to 
be a separate and equal branch of Government--the legislative, 
executive and judicial branches of Government.
  For the first 6 years of this Presidency, there was no legislative 
branch of Government. It did not exist. The President ignored it 
because the Republican-dominated House and Senate gave the President a 
big rubber stamp. We have changed that, and rightfully so, for the 
American people.
  A number of people made possible passage of the bill late last night, 
or this morning. Senator Bingaman, Senator Boxer. And let me say this 
about that wonderful Senator from the State of California, Mrs. Boxer. 
Senator Boxer has one grandchild, Zach. I have watched him grow up. I 
don't know, he must be 10, 11 years old now. I watched him when he was 
a little boy crawling around on the floor. She was so excited.
  I had the good fortune, my wife and I, to spend a weekend with them 
in one of their homes in California, she and Stu. They were so excited 
they were going to have their second grandchild. That second grandchild 
was born last night about 6 o'clock eastern time. She flew to 
California and was headed toward the airport, actually had entered the 
airport, when the vote occurred last night. She was coming back here to 
be here this morning to take that vote.
  She is a real soldier. I so admire Senator Boxer. We came to 
Washington together in 1982. She was able to go back and spend some 
more time with her grandson because we didn't need her here this 
morning, but the vote was that close.
  The bill is important. The overall manager of the bill was Senator 
Bingaman. He did a tremendous job. This quiet, effective man--Stanford 
and Harvard degrees--has done a wonderful job with this legislation, as 
he does with everything.
  The CAFE standards in this bill which we have passed are so 
important. For 25 years, we have been trying to get increased fuel 
efficiency. Each time we have tried we have been defeated. People had 
enough. Senators had enough. We have voted against CAFE standards for 
too long. We were told they said that if you voted for increased fuel 
efficiency, we are going to close production plants, we are going to 
lay people off, we are going to lose market share.
  They were right, except it didn't take increased fuel efficiency. 
They simply became not competitive. Other cars coming into this market 
that people wanted to buy, fuel-efficient vehicles, were bought. So we 
increased fuel efficiency. It is great for this country. It will save 
millions of barrels of oil every year.
  There was legislation that was drafted by a number of people to make 
this effective. It came out of the Commerce Committee originally, but 
the people who worked so hard the last few days were Senator Feinstein, 
Senator Kerry, Senator Snowe, Senator Stevens, and let me say, I have 
the good fortune in working very closely with the senior Senator from 
Washington, Mrs. Murray. She is the secretary of the Democratic caucus. 
I have worked with her very closely.
  She is a tremendous Senator, a tremendous asset to me, the caucus, of 
course the State of Washington, and the country.
  One of the quiet, effective Members of the Senate is Maria Cantwell. 
Those of us who watched her the last 3 days on this Senate floor, 
making sure there were enough votes to pass the aspect of the bill we 
call CAFE standards, saw her effectiveness. She, at any given time with 
votes changing back and forth knew--that piece of paper she carried--
where the votes were. I went to her many times yesterday and said what 
happens if this happens and what happens if this happens? She knew 
right away.
  Senator Inouye, the chairman of the Commerce Committee, reported that 
out. He worked with Senator Stevens to make sure that as the matter 
changed a little bit, it was done properly. I hope I mentioned Senator 
Kerry's name; I meant to. He is such a believer. He has written books. 
He is so concerned about the environment.
  Words cannot describe how important Senator Cantwell was in our being 
able to pass this legislation. Of course, my friend Senator Durbin, who 
is the whip, assistant leader, is always around, always helpful in 
doing things I and others ask him to do, and does so much on his own.
  I wish I could express my appreciation adequately to all of the 
people whose names I mentioned. If I slighted someone, I certainly did 
not mean to do that. But I have mentioned some names that have come to 
my mind.
  With strong bipartisan support, we passed an energy bill that will 
grow our economy, strengthen our national security, and protect our 
environment. If passed into law, this bill will put us on a path toward 
reducing our reliance on oil by increasing supply of renewable fuels 
produced right here at home, and decreasing the amount of energy we use 
in our cars, homes, and offices.
  Why do we say it will strengthen our economy? Because especially in 
rural America there will be biofuel buildings, factories to make 
biofuels.
  We have done things to protect our environment by reducing greenhouse 
gases and other toxins that are emitted using fossil fuel. For the 
first time since 1975, our bill raises standards for new cars and 
trucks, as I have mentioned, from 25 to 35 miles per gallon,

[[Page S8275]]

which is really important. That still puts us behind Europe, Japan, and 
China, but it is a critical step in the right direction and will save 
up to 1 billion gallons of gas every day. Think about that--1 billion 
gallons of gasoline every day. I don't know how big a tank a billion 
gallons is. I do know that we use 21 billion barrels of oil every day 
in America, 65 percent of which is imported. I know how big a hole that 
is. It is the width of a football field, 11 miles long and 10 feet 
deep.
  For the automakers still wavering on increasing fuel efficiency, I 
say this: Do not fight the change; embrace it. There is no reason our 
automobile manufacturers cannot do this. There is no reason. Others do 
it all over the world. Cannot we as Americans do it? Of course we can. 
They need to embrace the opportunity to build the high performance cars 
and trucks Americans want to buy and drive and which we so desperately 
need for the sake of our national security and global warming. It is 
time for American automobile manufacturers to lead the world once 
again. That will only come through a commitment to clean innovation.
  The next part of the bill that passed reduces crude oil consumption 
by more than 10 percent over the next 15 years by producing more 
renewable fuels, by producing them right here at home, more renewable 
fuels on America's farms, fields, and in our forests, which will create 
tens of thousands of new American jobs.
  We set new energy efficiency standards with light bulbs, light 
fixtures, appliances, water heaters, boilers, air conditioners, which 
will save half a trillion gallons of water every year. For a State such 
as Nevada--Las Vegas gets 4 inches of rain every year--that is 
dramatic.
  Because Government should lead by example, we also dramatically 
improved the energy efficiency of Federal buildings and vehicles, as 
relates to energy, which will save billions of American taxpayer 
dollars.
  Senator Boxer has a provision in this bill that relates to the 
capture of carbon. It is a carbon capture study at the Capitol 
powerplant, and it also requires 15 percent of every bit of energy we 
use on this Capitol Hill complex--by the way, there are more than 
10,000 employees here--that we need to get that from renewable sources.
  We need to invest in the technologies that will drive our energy 
future, such as carbon capture and storage, that hold the hope of 
containing carbon emissions from producing power sources before they 
ever reach the air.
  Last night's passage of the Energy bill was a great victory for the 
American people. Here is why: We will save American consumers tens of 
billions of dollars annually, cut our oil consumption by 7 million 
barrels a day within 20 years, reduce our dependence on foreign energy 
sources now, and take critical steps in these early stages of our fight 
against global warming. There is a long way to go to secure the kind of 
clean and safe energy future we need. This bill is a first step, but it 
is an important first step.
  The bill is not perfect. It is unfortunate that in passing this bill 
the administration and most Senate Republicans blocked an effort to 
require more of our Nation's electricity to come from renewable sources 
as well as incentives to spur the production of more renewable fuels 
right here in America. But this fight is not over. Our friends in the 
House will pass their bill quickly so we can send it to the President 
for his signature. But this bill, once again, shows us when we find 
common ground, we can accomplish uncommon good.
  Mr. President, I see that my friend and partner in what happens here 
in the Senate is here, Senator Durbin.
  I have already expressed, Senator Durbin, my appreciation for the 
work you did in getting to the final passage of this bill. You and I 
spend so much time alone that I do not often get to say anything 
publicly about you, so I will take a brief moment to say you and I have 
been in the legislature, on a national basis, since 1982 together. We 
have had good days and bad days. That is what legislation is all about. 
But I so appreciate having you as a partner here in the Senate. You 
have been stalwart. The people of Illinois are so fortunate to have you 
representing them in the Senate. I hope I can tell you in this manner 
how much I admire and appreciate your advocacy, your friendship, and 
the good work you do for all of our country.

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