[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 149 (Thursday, September 18, 2008)]
[House]
[Page H8400]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY BILL

  (Mr. BARRETT of South Carolina asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. BARRETT of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, there was an energy 
bill brought to the floor yesterday, but unfortunately, it was not a 
comprehensive bill or open for debate, and no Member was allowed to 
offer any amendment expanding the scope.
  The bill passed restricts miles of coastal States like my State of 
South Carolina. It tells us what we can explore, and it prohibits the 
States from sharing any revenues. That's a bad deal for coastal States, 
and it's a bad deal for this country.
  It imposes a new 15 percent renewable energy requirement on 
utilities, but it leaves out energy sources like nuclear, most hydro 
and even clean coal. South Carolina gets about 50 percent of its power 
from nuclear energy, and this legislation will penalize my State. So 
it's a bad deal for South Carolina, and it's a bad deal for this 
country.
  Madam Speaker, what I also left out of this so-called comprehensive 
bill is coal-to-liquid technology, increased refinery capacity, 
domestic exploration in ANWR, and nuclear energy--our cleanest and 
safest supply of energy that we have.
  Madam Speaker, the bill passed is a bad deal for America. There is a 
smarter way. Let's bring comprehensive energy legislation like the 
American Energy Act to the floor.

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