[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 192 (Friday, December 14, 2007)]
[Senate]
[Pages S15647-S15648]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  ENERGY INDEPENDENCE AND SECURITY ACT

  Mr. FEINGOLD. Madam President, I support the passage of the Energy 
Independence and Security Act of 2007, H.R. 6, which sets the U.S. 
energy policy on the right path.
  I am particularly supportive of the critical improvements that were 
made in this bill to raise vehicle fuel economy standards while 
protecting American jobs. It is vitally important to my hometown of 
Janesville, WI, and to other hard-working communities across the 
country that Congress strike the right balance on this issue. Since the 
Senate considered the Energy bill earlier this year, I have worked with 
my colleagues to ensure that the final version includes strong but 
reasonable CAFE standards. I am glad that together we have accomplished 
that feat, and the bill has the support of interests as varied as the 
UAW, General Motors, and environmental groups.
  I also support the bill's renewable fuel standard, which will require 
36 billion gallons of renewable fuels by 2022, of which 21 billion will 
come from advanced biofuels, such as cellulosic ethanol and biodiesel. 
The bill also includes language I cosponsored urging that 25 percent of 
energy come from renewable sources by 2025 and setting requirements for 
improved energy efficiency for buildings, appliances, and lighting. The 
bill also includes an important provision, based on a bill I 
cosponsored, that makes it unlawful for an individual to knowingly 
manipulate the price of oil or gas.
  I am, however, disappointed that after hard work and negotiations 
that produced a good, balanced energy bill, a minority of Senators 
repeatedly blocked the bill. It is unfortunate that to overcome this 
Republican roadblock, we had to remove the renewable electricity 
standard and the energy tax provisions--these new or extended renewable 
energy tax incentives were fully offset, so they would not have added 
to our deficit.
  However, on balance, the version of the bill that the Senate passed 
is a positive step. It moves us away from our dependence on oil, 
increases our

[[Page S15648]]

energy security, encourages renewable energy and energy efficiency, and 
supports hard-working families and communities around the country.
  This year's Energy bill finally moves past the misguided debates of 
previous Congresses and the fiscally and environmentally irresponsible 
proposals that were considered and passed in recent years. The United 
States is at an important juncture. By supporting the Energy bill, I am 
supporting a new direction for our Nation's energy policy: one that 
encourages renewable energy, conservation of the resources we have, and 
American innovation.

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