[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 102 (Thursday, June 19, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1288]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION AUTHORIZATION ACT OF 2008

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                               speech of

                            HON. GENE GREEN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, June 12, 2008

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 6063) to 
     authorize the programs of the National Aeronautics and Space 
     Administration, and for other purposes:

  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Madam Chairman, I rise today in support of 
the amendment to H.R. 6063 submitted by my good friend from Texas, 
Congressman Nick Lampson.
  The Lampson amendment will enable NASA to meet its energy needs by 
clarifying language set forth in Section 526 of the Energy Independence 
and Security Act of 2007.
  Section 526 prohibits Federal agencies from purchasing alternative or 
synthetic fuels for mobility-related use other than for research or 
testing, unless the purchase contract specifies that the lifecycle 
greenhouse gas emissions are less than that of conventional petroleum-
based fuels.
  The Lampson amendment will enable NASA to continue to contract for 
generally available fuels as long as the fuel is not predominately made 
from non-conventional sources. Without the certainty of this amendment, 
NASA may not have been able to procure fuels that may have been mixed 
with Canadian oil sands, no matter how small the mixture.
  North American oil sands are vital to United States oil supplies. Oil 
sands represent approximately 5 percent of the total U.S. oil supply 
and are mixed in with fuel derived from other sources.
  With the price of energy skyrocketing, our nation needs to diversify 
our fuel supplies, not restrict them. America should also encourage 
increased supplies of North American energy and decrease our dependence 
on oil from hostile countries.
  I applaud Congressman Lampson's amendment and urge my colleagues from 
both sides of the aisle to support it. Thank you.

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