[Congressional Record Volume 156, Number 172 (Tuesday, December 21, 2010)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2222]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


    INTRODUCING OIL INDEPENDENCE FOR A STRONGER AMERICA ACT OF 2010

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                            HON. JAY INSLEE

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, December 21, 2010

  Mr. INSLEE. Madam Speaker, I rise today to introduce Oil Independence 
for a Stronger America Act of 2010, a bipartisan bill to help 
transition our transportation sector from an oil-based system to one 
based on electricity and natural gas. This legislation is a significant 
investment in our shared goals to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, 
and ramp up production of homegrown biofuels in states like Washington 
that can spur our economy and create American jobs. As many of you 
know, the U.S. has only two percent of the world's oil reserves while 
we consume 23 percent of the world's oil. The status quo is not in our 
national security interests, or economic interests. Of all the oil that 
is used in the United States each day, 57 percent is imported, and 70 
percent of that imported oil comes from countries that do not enjoy 
many of the same basic freedoms as U.S. citizens. Further, this 
addiction costs the U.S. economy close to $1 billion per day. This 
imbalance of supply and demand means that the U.S. will be dependent on 
foreign sources of oil unless we create smart and thoughtful policies 
to invest in America's clean energy technologies and infrastructure.
  This bill provides the necessary framework for the United States 
change invigorate new American industries and kick our oil habit. To 
put this in perspective everyone should know that approximately one-
third of the total amount of energy consumed in the United States is to 
fuel the 249 million vehicles that are burning gas on our highways.
  The Oil Independence for a Stronger America Act of 2010 contains 
language that has the goal of reducing our dependence on oil by 
approximately 3 billion barrels per year, a number that represents 
nearly all of our oil imports. This bill would:
  1. Establish the National Energy Security Program to coordinate oil 
reduction efforts across all of government
  2. Help deploy electric and natural gas vehicles though tax credits 
and deployment demonstration projects
  3. Amend current federal transportation planning rules to include 
planning for oil savings in transportation infrastructure plans 
developed by states and authorize funding for projects to implement the 
plans
  4. Help the U.S. advanced biofuels industry scale up to commercial 
levels
  5. Support research and development in battery technologies
  In addition to strengthening America by reigning in our oil 
consumption the legislation also has very positive environmental 
benefits. Almost \1/3\ of all the Green House Gas, GHG, emissions in 
the U.S. come from the transportation sector. Switching over 60 percent 
of our transportation sector to electric vehicles would cut emissions 
by 33 percent. This is the equivalent of taking 82 million gas burning 
cars off the road.
  In the great state of Washington, interests from the private and 
public sectors are already working to bring electric vehicles and the 
associated infrastructure to the 1-5 corridor. Their efforts can be 
greatly enhanced by this legislation. Realizing the goals of this 
legislation will ensure that the U.S. secures its competitive edge in 
this field.
  This legislation is a win-win-win for the future of the United 
States. We can help secure our nation's energy resources, reduce our 
nations greenhouse gas emissions significantly which will help mitigate 
issues of global climate change, and ensure that innovative 
transportation technologies like advanced batteries and advanced 
biofuels are made here in the United States. In closing, I urge my 
colleagues to cosponsor this bill, and hope that we can work together 
to move it toward passage as soon as possible.

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