[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 79 (Thursday, May 21, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S5768]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                 ENERGY

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, Americans have noticed a steady 
uptick in the price of gasoline over the past few weeks, and it is only 
going to get worse during the summer driving season. The economic 
downturn may have caused gas prices to fall from last summer's record 
highs, but as the economy recovers, $4 gasoline could well return and 
Americans will want answers.
  Fortunately, many of us have been busy putting together a balanced, 
sensible solution that gets at the root of our energy crisis and 
addresses the concerns of everyone involved in this debate, including 
some who traditionally have been at odds. We believe it is possible to 
build a bridge to the clean energy future all of us want without 
introducing crippling taxes on consumers or on industry. So this 
morning, with Memorial Day fast approaching, I would like to briefly 
outline this balanced approach.

  The first step is to admit we have a serious problem. Something must 
be done to reduce America's dependence on foreign oil. America uses 
more than a fifth of the world's supply of oil, much of it from 
countries that do not like us. If we start by using less, we will need 
a lot less from other countries. So conservation and increased 
efficiency are certainly necessary. It is something on which everyone 
can agree. We need to use less.
  But conservation is only half the equation. Even as we use less 
energy, we need to produce more of our own. America sits on an ocean--a 
literal ocean--of untapped oil and natural gas and vast stores of coal 
and oil shale. Our geography also makes us rich in renewable energy 
sources such as wind, solar, and geothermal. Taken together, these 
resources are the perfect complement as we move toward the day when 
cars and factories can run on cleaner, more efficient fuels. But we 
have to be realistic about how far off that day is. We have to admit 
there is a gap between the clean renewable fuel we want and the 
reliable energy we need. So as we invest in technologies that will 
bring us cleaner, more efficient energy, the only way we can expect to 
truly reduce our dependence on foreign sources of oil is to produce 
more American energy and use less. This may sound like a simple 
proposal. The best solutions usually are. Unfortunately, the idea of 
finding more energy at home and using less is needlessly controversial 
because some are unwilling to admit that a gap exists between the 
energy we need now and the energy we want, and still others do not like 
a number of our proposals for finding more domestic energy.
  Here is what we have proposed. We propose building 100 new clean 
nuclear energy plants as soon as possible. We propose offshore 
exploration for natural gas and oil. We propose making plug-in electric 
cars and trucks half of all new vehicles sold in 20 years. And we 
propose doubling research and development on energy to make all of this 
possible. These and other proposals, including the development of clean 
coal and coal-to-liquids technologies, constitute a balanced, 
comprehensive approach that would do all the things we need to reduce 
our dependence on foreign oil, help reduce our consumption, and build 
the bridge to a cleaner, more efficient energy future.
  This approach would strengthen our economy by preserving jobs in 
existing industries even as we create new jobs by investing in new 
technologies. It would enhance our security by reducing our dependence 
on foreign suppliers. And it would help the environment by embracing 
the cleaner, more efficient energy sources of the future.
  All of us recognize we should reduce the amount of energy we use. We 
also recognize the energy we use should be as clean as possible, as 
reliable as possible, and as inexpensive as possible. Our balanced 
approach of finding more American energy and using less would bring 
about all these things without hurting the economy or disrupting our 
lives or hindering security.
  So as the summer driving season continues, Americans will be 
reminded, once again, that our Nation's energy crisis has not gone 
away. But the approach I have outlined addresses that crisis head-on. 
Republicans will continue to speak out about the produce-more, use-less 
model. We hope our friends on the other side recognize it is the only 
sensible approach to a crisis that must be addressed.
  Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. PRYOR. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.

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