[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 116 (Tuesday, July 15, 2008)]
[House]
[Page H6480]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           THE ENERGY SITUATION REQUIRES A THREE-LEGGED STOOL

  (Mr. KINGSTON asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, it's interesting to hear the Democrats 
flail around for reasons that they won't put energy issues on the 
floor. I agree with the preceding speaker. Let's talk about the 
Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Let's talk about offshore drilling. We 
haven't moved a single appropriation bill because of the fear that we 
may have an amendment on offshore drilling.
  Now the President has lifted his ban, and what we hear from the 
Democrats is it will take 10 years, it will take 20 years. It means two 
things: number one, they agree there's oil out there; number two, 
there's a discussion about how long it will take.
  But my question to them is where are your electric cars? Where are 
your hybrids that suddenly are going to save us? Those are also going 
to be 10 years down the road.
  We need to put it all on the table. We need to look at conservation, 
we need to look at alternative energy, and we need to drill. It is that 
simple. You have got to have a three-legged stool to answer the energy 
situation. And I don't know why the Speaker of the House is afraid to 
put it on the floor. That is right. There will not be a debate on it 
because the Democrats are afraid to put it on the floor.
  I say let's have an up-or-down vote on all of these issues.

             A GOVERNMENT OF, BY, AND FOR THE OIL COMPANIES

  (Mr. MORAN of Virginia asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Mr. Speaker, you know, when you listen to the 
Bush White House and our Republican friends, you really do get the 
impression that this is a government of, by, and for the oil companies. 
And in fact, maybe it is. I mean, after all, President Bush was the 
founder of Bush Oil Exploration. He was a paid board member of several 
oil exploration companies. Vice President Cheney is the former CEO of 
Halliburton, the world's largest oil services company. He's made 
millions off Halliburton stock while he's been in office.
  Newsweek, in fact, at the beginning of the Bush administration, 
identified 11 key decision makers in the energy policy area that had 
worked for or lobbied for the energy industry. And in fact when Vice 
President Cheney put together his energy transition team, 50 members 
were from the big corporate energy companies. None was from renewable 
energy organizations. Maybe that's why the Bush administration has cut 
renewable energy programs by 27 percent, including a 54 percent cut in 
solar energy.
  There are many reasons why we're in this situation, Mr. Speaker, and 
one big reason is the background and the priorities of the President 
and Vice President.

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