[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 109 (Monday, July 20, 2009)]
[House]
[Pages H8364-H8367]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       PROVIDING FOR NATURAL GAS VEHICLE RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

  Mr. LUJAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 1622) to provide for a program of research, development, and 
demonstration on natural gas vehicles, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 1622

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. NATURAL GAS VEHICLE RESEARCH,
                   DEVELOPMENT, AND DEMONSTRATION PROJECTS.

       (a) In General.--The Secretary of Energy shall conduct a 5-
     year program of natural gas vehicle research, development, 
     and demonstration. The Secretary shall
     coordinate with the Administrator of the Environmental 
     Protection Agency, as necessary.
       (b) Purpose.--The program under this section shall focus 
     on--
       (1) the continued improvement and development of new, 
     cleaner, more efficient light-duty, medium-duty, and heavy-
     duty natural gas vehicle engines;
       (2) the integration of those engines into light-duty, 
     medium-duty, and heavy-duty natural gas
     vehicles for onroad and offroad applications;
       (3) expanding product availability by ensuring that 
     technologies researched and developed assist engines and 
     vehicles in meeting Federal and State requirements and 
     standards;
       (4) the demonstration and proper operation and use of the 
     vehicles described in paragraph (2) under all operating 
     conditions;
       (5) the development and improvement of
     nationally recognized codes and standards for the continued 
     safe operation of natural gas vehicles and their components;
       (6) improvement in the reliability and efficiency of 
     natural gas fueling station infrastructure;
       (7) the certification of natural gas fueling
     station infrastructure to nationally recognized and industry 
     safety standards;
       (8) the improvement in the reliability and
     efficiency of onboard natural gas fuel storage systems;
       (9) the development of new natural gas fuel
     storage materials;
       (10) the certification of onboard natural gas fuel storage 
     systems to nationally recognized and industry safety 
     standards;
       (11) the use of natural gas engines in hybrid
     vehicles; and
       (12) researching and developing technologies and processes 
     so as to improve and streamline the process by which natural 
     gas conversion systems meet Federal and State requirements 
     and standards.
       (c) Cooperation and Coordination With
     Industry.--In developing and carrying out the program under 
     this section, the Secretary shall coordinate with the natural 
     gas vehicle industry to ensure cooperation between the public 
     and the private sector.

[[Page H8365]]

       (d) Conduct of Program.--The program under this section 
     shall be conducted in accordance with sections 3001 and 3002 
     of the Energy Policy Act of 1992.
       (e) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of 
     enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall provide a report 
     to Congress on the implementation of this section.
       (f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized 
     to be appropriated to the Secretary $30,000,000 for each of 
     the fiscal years 2010 through 2014 to carry out this section.
       (g) Definition.--For purposes of this section, the term 
     ``natural gas'' means compressed natural gas, liquefied 
     natural gas, biomethane, and mixtures of hydrogen and methane 
     or natural gas.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
Mexico (Mr. Lujan) and the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Hall) each will 
control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New Mexico.


                             General Leave

  Mr. LUJAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 
5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include 
extraneous material on H.R. 1622, the bill now under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Lujan).
  There was no objection.
  Mr. LUJAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  H.R. 1622 was introduced by Mr. Sullivan of Oklahoma and cosponsored 
by myself, my friends from Texas, Mr. Hall and Mr. Green, my colleague 
from Oklahoma (Mr. Boren) and a number of other Members that recognize 
the potential of natural gas as an alternative transportation fuel.
  This bill reauthorizes the Department of Energy's research, 
development and demonstration program in natural gas powered vehicles 
and related infrastructure. The vehicle fleet of the future will 
include a diverse range of fuels and vehicle technologies.
  Since it is both cleaner than petroleum and domestically available, 
natural gas will play an important role in a more sustainable 
transportation sector. Moreover, the estimated domestic reserves 
continue to grow, indicating that natural gas could play a long-term 
role in helping to alleviate our dependence on foreign oil.
  I support H.R. 1622 and urge its passage.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1622 
to provide for a program of research, development and demonstration on 
natural gas vehicles. I thank my good friend, Congressman John Sullivan 
from Oklahoma, for introducing this bill, and I'm very proud to be a 
cosponsor.
  H.R. 1622 authorizes the U.S. Department of Energy to fund natural 
gas vehicle research, development and demonstration needs on natural 
gas vehicles to make them even cleaner, even more efficient, and ease 
their widespread integration into our current transportation system.
  Approximately 98 percent of the natural gas we use in America comes 
from the United States and Canada, and the Energy Information Agency 
forecasts that, by 2030, over 98 percent of the natural gas used in 
America will come from the U.S. alone. Because of recent advancements 
in technology, the economically recoverable U.S. natural gas resource 
base has nearly doubled in just the last few years. A recent study 
concludes that we now have 118 years of natural gas resources right 
here in America. Doesn't it makes sense that we should be using this 
abundant, domestic resource to help fuel our transportation needs?
  Renewable natural gas can also be produced from any organic waste or 
energy crop such as switchgrass. It has been conservatively estimated 
that America could produce 1.2 quadrillion Btus of renewable natural 
gas, also called biomethane. That is the equivalent of 10 billion 
gallons of gasoline. And if making biomethane from cellulosic energy 
crops is considered, the potential is just almost limitless.
  Natural gas is affordable, it has an existing distribution 
infrastructure, it is a proven vehicle fuel, and it is clean.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill that will help increase our 
energy independence by serving to increase the amount of vehicles on 
our roads that run on domestic natural gas.
  With that, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. LUJAN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman 
from Oklahoma (Mr. Sullivan).
  Mr. SULLIVAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1622, my 
legislation to reauthorize the natural gas vehicles research, 
development, demonstration and deployment program within the Department 
of Energy for 5 years.
  I would like to thank Ranking Member Hall and Chairman Gordon and 
also my colleague from Oklahoma, Dan Boren, for bringing this important 
legislation to the floor today.
  Natural gas is the bridge fuel for decreasing our dependence on 
foreign sources of oil and putting our Nation on a path to energy 
security. It is critical that we make a strong effort to incorporate 
more natural gas vehicles into our transportation fleet. There are more 
than 150,000 natural gas vehicles on the U.S. roads today and over 10 
million world wide. Increased U.S. natural gas vehicle research, 
development, demonstration and deployment will only increase these 
numbers if we make the proper investments as my bill does.
  Natural gas vehicles are an important part of our national 
transportation infrastructure. In 2008 alone, natural gas vehicles 
displaced almost 300 million gallons of petroleum in the United States. 
In fact, nearly one in five new transit buses on order today is 
specified to be natural gas powered, proof that we are moving in the 
right direction.
  We also have a proven reserve of natural gas right here in the United 
States. We have enough known natural gas reserves to last more than a 
century. As a matter of fact, 98 percent of the natural gas we consume 
is produced right here in North America. Natural gas is American-made 
energy.
  In addition to our vast supply, we already have a way to get natural 
gas to the consumer with over 1.5 million miles of natural gas pipeline 
distribution across the United States. Natural gas vehicles are also 
better for the environment. Greenhouse gas emissions from natural gas 
are 23 percent lower than diesel and 30 percent lower than gasoline. 
Natural gas vehicles also produce virtually no particulate matter or 
emissions.
  To meet our Nation's energy needs, we must continue to develop 
alternative and renewable sources of energy. However, we can't shoot 
the horse we are on until we find a new horse. Natural gas is the 
bridge fuel for decreasing our dependence on foreign sources of oil and 
putting our Nation on a path to energy security.
  I encourage passage of H.R. 1622 today.

                              {time}  1430

  Mr. LUJAN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to Mr. Olson, the 
gentleman from Texas.
  Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to thank my ranking member and 
friend from Texas for yielding me time to express my support for H. 
Res. 607, the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing.
  Like all members of my generation, I remember very well where I was 
when Neil Armstrong stepped out of the Eagle and into history. But 
today, as we look back, I offer this question: Where will we be when 
those next steps are taken on the Moon? For millions of Americans, 
those steps will be their first chance to witness history.
  It is right and fitting that we take this time to honor the men and 
women of Apollo 11. And I say men and women, because although three 
brave men were willing to strap themselves on top of a Saturn V rocket, 
it took the support of thousands of men and women to make their 
success.
  For some, there are questions about why even go back to the Moon? 
It's true we can't replace Apollo, but we should try. And I don't mean 
simply at NASA.
  First, it boggles the mind that those Apollo journeys, which should 
have been the beginning of lunar exploration, were the end of them. 
Budget cuts forced the cancellation of Apollo 18, 19 and 20, and we've 
been endorsing those cuts ever since.
  NASA is on a path to return to the Moon and on to Mars and beyond, 
but

[[Page H8366]]

we need the support, both here in Congress and among the general 
public, for these worthy goals. By exploring, we create jobs, we 
inspire our youth to go into math and science fields, and we ensure 
that the aerospace industry, which is currently American-centered and 
American-dominated, remains that way.
  But the lessons of Apollo should not be limited to NASA. It has 
become cliche for politicians to reference Apollo when talking about 
our need to create domestic alternatives to solve our energy solutions.
  Our Nation wants to rally around a worthy goal, to achieve great 
things. This is what Apollo showed us, and we should look to that in 
this Chamber as we debate the issues of the day that will impact the 
generations to come.
  Apollo won't be replicated, because you can't replicate Neil 
Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Mike Collins. They've become icons in 
American culture, exhibiting those uniquely American traits: boldness, 
courageousness, excellence. They, as individuals, were the finest in 
their fields. But as a crew, and as an extension of the NASA family 
that made Apollo such a success, and as representatives of this great 
Nation that sent them forth through the heavens, they became heroes 
worthy of the praise that will be offered over the next few days.
  May the example they set as individuals drive us personally. May the 
success of the lessons of the Apollo program guide us selectively, and 
may the knowledge of what they achieved as a Nation inspire us to do 
bold things going forward.
  Mr. LUJAN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I yield to the Congressman from 
Georgia, Dr. Broun, the balance of our time.
  Mr. BROUN of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, as we discuss this bill about 
natural gas, I think we need to look much beyond that one issue. 
Republicans have introduced legislation called the American Energy Act. 
It's an all-of-the-above solution to our problems with dependence upon 
foreign oil, and, Mr. Speaker, we've got to stop that dependence upon 
foreign oil.
  We're buying oil from countries that hate us, and they're utilizing 
our dollars to fight us, to kill our men and women in service. And the 
only way we are going to bring an end to that is to not only look to 
natural gas, but to look to nuclear energy, look to alternative sources 
of energy, look to things such as wind, solar, biomass. We need to find 
ways of having clean coal technology. I know a lot of people find that 
to be an oxymoron, but, in actuality, there is technology today that 
will lead to clean coal technology.
  Mr. Speaker, we have to be good stewards of our environment. That 
tax-and-trade bill--some call it cap-and-trade. I call it tax-and-trade 
or cap-and-tax because it is about revenue--that's not going to do 
anything about our environment. All it's going to do is create more 
revenue for the Federal Government to pay for this ObamaCare plan that 
we are going to be debating in committees here in the House this week 
and possibly voting before we leave for the August break.
  But, Mr. Speaker, America is suffering. We're suffering from high 
energy costs. Certainly, the gasoline prices have been lowered from $4, 
as it was not many months ago. Just recently I saw gas, as I drove to 
the airport this morning in Walnut Grove, Georgia, was $2.169, but 
that's still too high, and we're headed higher in the near future.
  Mr. Speaker, it's extremely difficult for Georgia Power to get the 
permitting for the two new reactors that they want to put at plant 
Vogtle, just south of my district, just south of Augusta, Georgia. It's 
extremely difficult for people to do the research and development to 
look for alternative sources of fuel. Natural gas is being shut out as 
a means of powering our vehicles, powering many things that it could 
power.
  Mr. Speaker, we need an all-of-the-above energy plan. I hope that the 
U.S. Senate will defeat the tax-and-trade bill that we passed here 
because it will be disastrous. It will raise the costs of all goods and 
services here in America. It will raise the cost of health care, 
medicines in the drug store, doctor bills, hospital bills. It will 
raise the cost of food. It will cost every single individual in this 
country more money, and I hope the American people will stand up and 
say ``no'' to the tax-and-trade bill that this House passed and that 
the Senate is considering, will consider this fall. I hope they'll 
stand up and say ``no'' to ObamaCare, which will increase the time it 
takes for people to get x rays and surgeries and the necessary medical 
evaluation and treatment that they need. Thus, people who have cancer 
will be denied the life-saving drugs that they so desperately need or 
the surgery that they need.
  Mr. Speaker, we're heading down the wrong road in this country. This 
House is taking this country down the wrong road of higher deficits.
  And I hear people on the other side blame President Bush for the 
deficits he's created, but President Bush's deficits are piker levels 
compared to the deficits that have been created by this Congress since 
this administration took over 6 months ago. This President has 
presented a budget that was passed by this House that will create more 
debt in the next 5 years than every President, including George Bush, 
from George W. Bush all the way back to George Washington, more 
deficit, more debt than has been created by every single President.
  We cannot continue to spend our grandchildren's future. Our 
grandchildren are going to live at a lower standard of living than we 
do today because of this tremendous debt that we've created.
  Mr. Speaker, it has to stop, and I hope the American people rise up 
and say ``no'' to ObamaCare. I hope they will stand up and say ``no'' 
to this tax-and-trade, tax-and-cap bill that the Senate's considering. 
I hope they will say ``no'' to a new stimulus package, nonstimulus bill 
that the President talks about that he wants to bring forward.
  Mr. Speaker, we've got to stop spending the money of our children's 
future. It has to stop. It's outrageous, and the American people need 
to understand that they are the key to rising up and telling their 
Member of Congress in the House and the Senate ``no.'' ``No'' to cap-
and-trade, ``no'' to ObamaCare, ``no'' to any more stimulus, ``no'' to 
any more Wall Street bailout, ``no'' to taking over any more financial 
institutions, ``no'' to spend, spend, spend.
  Mr. Speaker, we cannot tax and spend our way to prosperity. It never 
has worked. It was tried during the Great Depression, and it didn't 
work then. It's not going to work today. We seem to have elitists that 
think that they can do it better, but socialism never has worked, never 
will work, and it's time for the American people to stand up and say 
``no'' to it.
  Mr. Speaker, we need to have natural gas as an alternative source of 
fuel for our automobiles and buses and trucks. We need to have all 
these energy sources. We need the American Energy Act passed into law. 
We need to cut taxes on small business and leave dollars in their 
pockets so that they can create jobs, so they can buy inventory, so we 
can get our economy back on track.
  Mr. Speaker, the Republicans are charged by the Democratic folks on 
the other side of being the Party of No, but it's actually the 
Democratic Party that's been the Party of No. We are, as Republicans, 
the Party of K-N-O-W. We know how to stimulate the economy. We know how 
to lower the cost of health care. We know how to fix the problem that 
we have with energy.
  And, Mr. Speaker, it's time for the American people to stand up and 
say ``no'' to this steamroller of socialism being driven by Nancy 
Pelosi and Harry Reid, fueled by Barack Obama, and say ``yes'' to the 
Republican alternatives that we desperately need, as a Nation, to fix 
the economy, to lower the cost of health care for all Americans, to get 
people back to work, and stop this killing jobs and killing our 
economy.
  So the American people, Mr. Speaker, need to stand up and say ``no'' 
to the Democratic plan and ``yes'' to the Republican plan.
  Mr. LUJAN. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. HALL of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I have no other speakers. I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  Mr. LUJAN. Mr. Speaker, as we look to see how we can truly work 
together in the Chamber, I think that the legislation before us, H.R. 
1622, directly addresses some of our concerns when it

[[Page H8367]]

comes to energy in our great Nation. H.R. 1622 is a bipartisan piece of 
legislation that looks to see how we can come together and work 
together to be able to alleviate our dependence on foreign oil.
  And, Mr. Speaker, I certainly agree with my colleague that we have to 
look to diversity when it comes to energy, that we have to be good 
stewards of the environment, and that's why I stood up proudly to 
support the American Clean Energy and Security Act.
  We talk about what we have to do to invest in our future, Mr. 
Speaker, and as we look out to future generations and how we as a 
Nation have to come together, how our leaders have to come together, 
how we have to work anywhere that we possibly can to be able to address 
these deep concerns, it's with honor that I come before you, Mr. 
Speaker, to be able to work on these issues as a new Member of 
Congress, as a Member of Congress that's ready to work, and as a Member 
of Congress that's ready to look at new ideas where we can come 
together.
  H.R. 1622 is the continuation of a good idea on how we can continue 
to eliminate our dependence on foreign oil.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Salazar). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Lujan) that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 1622, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. BROUN of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and 
nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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