[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 186 (Thursday, December 6, 2007)]
[House]
[Pages H14451-H14452]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ENERGY INDEPENDENCE AND SECURITY ACT OF 2007
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Lee) is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. LEE. As a strong supporter of H.R. 6, the Energy Independence and
Security Act of 2007, I wanted to take a few moments to speak about
this important bill, which we passed earlier today in the House, and
how delighted I am and my constituents are for its passage. It is a
historic step forward in our goal toward reaching energy independence.
H.R. 6 raised CAFE standards to 35 miles per gallon by 2020, cutting
oil consumption by 1.1 million gallons per day, also, eliminating
greenhouse gases equivalent to 28 million cars from our roads. That's
28 million cars.
Among many important additional initiatives, it includes new energy
efficiency standards to reduce demand. It extends renewable energy tax
credits for solar and other renewable sources. It includes a renewable
fuels standard that contains safeguards to reduce carbon emissions and
protect our environment. It also contains a renewable electricity
standard, requiring utilities to get 15 percent of their power from
renewable sources by 2020. It also assists and empowers small
businesses to cut costs and scale up innovative energy solutions.
It will create thousands of new good-paying green jobs and build on
the work that has begun in places like the Ella Baker Center in my
district in Oakland, California, which is helping to lead the green
jobs revolution.
Mr. Speaker, this bill takes the right steps forward to reduce our
dependence on foreign oil, to save our constituents money, and to fight
global warming. Most importantly, it echoes the innovative steps that
have already been taken by individual cities, States and districts like
my district in the East Bay of California, Alameda County, to be
specific.
In many ways, the California Bay Area, and my district in particular,
are in the forefront of the innovation and research on alternative
energy climate change and the environment. Ongoing research into
alternative and renewable energy at the University of California at
Berkley, one of the premier public universities in the country, of
course I am an alma mater of the University of California at Berkley
and very proud of that, we hold the promise of a cleaner and brighter
future for our children, our country and the world.
Businesses in my district have also taken the lead in greening their
activities to reduce waste, improve energy efficiency, and save water,
minimizing the impact on our environment.
Innovative programs like the Ella Baker Center, which I already
mentioned, and funded in part through the City of Oakland, are also
training youth in my district about the importance of environmental
stewardship and providing them with new job opportunities and new
career paths. Community-based organizations in my district have also
taken the lead in advocating for environmental justice and equity for
all of our constituents. Together, my community is at the forefront of
a robust environmental movement that is quite literally changing the
world for the better.
The passage of the Energy Independence and Security Act will help
these grass-roots efforts expand and grow through Federal initiatives
designed to put the United States on a path to energy sustainability.
[[Page H14452]]
Again, I am very pleased that the House passed H.R. 6, and I look
forward to its final passage by the Senate.
In my district, we have the City of Albany, Berkley, Piedmont,
Oakland, California, Ashland, Cherryland, Fairview, Castro Valley,
unbelievable innovations which this bill will certainly support and
enhance. So I urge the President not to reject this proposal and hope
that he signs the bill when it reaches his desk.
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