[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 118 (Tuesday, September 10, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Pages S6306-S6307]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           ENERGY SAVINGS AND INDUSTRIAL COMPETITIVENESS ACT

  Mr. PORTMAN. America must also look to its interests here at home. 
Senator Shaheen just talked about that. Without a doubt, the ongoing 
chaos in Syria has served to remind us once again of the volatility and 
the instability that has plagued the Middle East for many years. It 
should also serve as a wake-up call.
  As a country, we have for way too long been dependent on dangerous 
and volatile parts of the world for our foreign energy needs, 
particularly foreign oil. We have seen the impact in the price of oil, 
even in the last couple of weeks. We certainly have seen it in our 
economy, the roller coaster we have seen with energy prices up and 
down. As a result, the need for American energy independence is not 
just a matter of the economy or economic security or energy security, 
it is also a matter of national security.
  Given these realities, it is incumbent upon us now more than ever to 
pursue a true ``all of the above'' domestic energy strategy. We have to 
find ways to produce more energy here at home. Just as important, we 
have to figure out how to use less by wasting less. We will save money, 
we will save energy, we will make our economy more competitive and 
create more jobs, and, yes, we will reduce our dependence on foreign 
oil.
  The piece of legislation on which I joined with the senior Senator 
from New Hampshire, which we introduced just before we left for the 
August recess, takes important steps toward that goal of reducing the 
amount of energy we waste in this country. Senator Shaheen just talked 
about it. It is called the Energy Savings and Industrial 
Competitiveness Act. It was meant to be on the floor today. We were 
supposed to be debating it. It is absolutely critical that we are 
debating Syria instead, but I do hope we can take up this legislation 
after the discussions about what we do with regard to the situation in 
Syria.
  This bill, the energy security bill, is bipartisan. It is bicameral 
in the sense that there is support in the House and the Senate for it. 
It is, as Senator Shaheen said, a bill that reduces our energy waste 
and moves us toward energy independence. According to the recent study 
she talked about, it is estimated to aid in the creation of 136,000 new 
jobs, saving consumers over $13 billion a year by the year 2030. That 
is why it is no surprise that it is supported by such a broad group, as 
Senator Shaheen talked about. That support, by the way, is one big 
reason it passed the Energy Committee with a strong bipartisan vote of 
19 to 3.
  Simply put, the legislation we proposed makes good environmental 
sense, it makes good energy sense, and it makes good economic sense 
too. It is a rare example around here of bipartisanship, which ought to 
be encouraged in a number of areas, but certainly this is one where we 
can find common ground.
  I want to thank the majority leader this morning, and the minority 
leader, for working out a unanimous consent agreement that allows us to 
move forward on this commonsense approach in the coming days. In that 
debate, we will talk more about the legislation, how it helps 
manufacturers on the global stage, and how the savings companies will 
accrue from energy efficiency will lead to better paying jobs. We will 
talk about how our legislation helps to train the next generation of 
workers in the skills they need to compete in the growing energy 
efficiency field. We will talk about how it makes

[[Page S6307]]

the Federal Government practice what it preaches, to reduce the waste 
in the largest user of energy in the world, which is our Federal 
Government. We will describe how our bill accomplishes these goals with 
no new mandates, no mandates on the private sector, no new spending, 
entirely offset. And again, it is a commonsense approach that is 
bipartisan. I look forward to that discussion. I look forward to seeing 
the Energy Savings and Industrial Competitiveness Act become law so 
this Nation can take a big step toward achieving the true goal of an 
``all of the above'' energy strategy and indeed make us less dependent 
on those dangerous and volatile parts of the world.
  I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Schatz). The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. REID. I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call 
be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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