[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 195 (Wednesday, December 19, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2631-E2632]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              ENERGY INDEPENDENCE AND SECURITY ACT OF 2007

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                             HON. TOM DAVIS

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 18, 2007

  Mr. DAVIS of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise to support the Renewable 
Fuels, Consumer Protection, and Energy Efficiency Act of 2007. It is an 
initial step towards a new energy policy. Some will say this bill goes 
too far, others will claim it does not go far enough. While 
opportunities to overhaul our energy policy were missed, this bill does 
include a starting point for true reform.
  Any attempt to transform the direction of our energy policy must 
include an increase in CAFE standards. Increasing fuel efficiency is 
something I have fought many years for. We have the technology to do 
it, we have the will to do it and now, with this bill, we have made the 
commitment to do it. This provision is the cornerstone for revamping 
our energy policy. It not only addresses our reliance on imported oil, 
but will also help stem the creation of green house gasses.
  I agree with the inclusion of a Renewable Fuels Standard; however, as 
we have learned over the past few years, the manner in which it is 
executed raises its own set of questions. Our current thirst is for 
corn based ethanol. Of 5 billion gallons of biofuels produced 
domestically last year, 4.9 billion were derived from corn. Placing a 
limit on the amount of com ethanol eligible to be applied in meeting 
the RFS is a necessary step. Yet, I have doubts as to whether that 
limit is too high and whether more should be done to ensure the 
development of other biofuels. Also, most studies give corn based 
ethanol an energy balance of 1.2. Would it not be a better long term 
policy to shift our focus towards a more efficient source of biofuel?
  Finally. I am concerned about the effects this mandate could have on 
the Chesapeake Bay. The Chesapeake Bay Task Force and I have worked 
tirelessly to clean up this troubled waterway. Spurred on by government 
subsidies, farmers in the watershed have been drastically increasing 
their corn acreage. Due

[[Page E2632]]

to the intrinsic nature of corn farming, any increase will heavily 
impact the health of the watershed and could undo many of the great 
achievements we have made in the past few years.
  Fifty years from now our energy makeup should be fundamentally 
different. At that point we should no longer be relying on fossil fuels 
to drive our economy. Yet, the fact remains we must rely on them today. 
Neither the technology nor the infrastructure exists to do otherwise. 
In the intervening years we must not only develop a green energy 
sector, but we must also shift from foreign sources of energy to 
domestic ones. Therefore, we must not hinder the development of our oil 
and natural gas fields. I am pleased this bill discarded the 
troublesome tax package that would have been a disincentive on domestic 
production.
  Madam Speaker, contrary to what its champions claim, this bill does 
not fundamentally change our Nation's energy policy. While I will vote 
for this bill, I look forward to working with my colleagues to finish 
the job that has been left undone.

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