[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Pages 990-991]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                                 ENERGY

  Mr. DURBIN. In the New York Times yesterday, Thomas Friedman, their 
foreign correspondent, made a valuable suggestion that relates both to 
the Energy Department, which Dr. Bodman will be heading, as well as our 
challenge in the Middle East. It is a point

[[Page 991]]

I have made but not as eloquently as Thomas Friedman in his article.
  He said he is now part of what he calls a ``geo green movement,'' and 
he defined it as follows: The United States of America should be moving 
toward energy conservation and new renewable sources of energy to 
lessen our dependence on foreign oil.
  The vast majority of Americans believe that is a good thing. I 
certainly do. You would believe that most people in this Chamber would. 
But not when it comes to the actual votes on better fuel economy and 
better fuel efficiency for America's trucks and cars. I have tried 
several times unsuccessfully to pass this.
  How can we honestly talk about reducing our dependence on foreign oil 
when we continue to drive these SUVs and trucks and cars with worse gas 
mileage every year? Almost 50 percent of the oil we import goes into 
refineries in indoor gasoline tanks. And unless or until we use less of 
that oil, we cannot reduce our dependence on foreign oil.
  The point being made by Mr. Friedman in his article is that when 
America needs less foreign oil, and the price of a barrel of oil comes 
down, then a lot of these countries in the Middle East that supply us 
with oil will no longer be able to subsidize the lifestyles of 
monarchies and the governments of inequity. They will be forced to open 
and diversify their economy. Women will go to school. You will have 
more training of people in the workforce.
  But as long as we have an inflated cost for a barrel of oil, and they 
are bringing millions if not billions of dollars from the United States 
into these Middle Eastern countries, there is no impetus or force for 
change in that society or lifestyle.
  So Mr. Friedman challenges us in Congress and in this Government to 
move toward more fuel efficiency and more fuel economy, to lower the 
price of oil and to create another force toward democratization, toward 
opening the societies and governments of the Middle East. It is hard to 
do. It is hard to do without Government action.
  My wife and I were recently looking for a new car, so we kind of laid 
down some rules: We wanted to buy American. We did not want an SUV. We 
did not need a big car like that. And we wanted something that is fuel 
efficient.
  Well, good luck. In America, there were not many choices. We kept 
reading about the Ford Escape hybrid. As we read about this possibility 
of 35, 36 miles a gallon in the city, we went out and put in an 
application for one. Do you know it took 5 months to get it? Those cars 
are in such high demand now you cannot buy them.
  So there is a market out there, and we need to encourage that market 
for fuel efficiency and fuel economy. It is not only good for reducing 
our dependence on foreign oil, it is good for the environment to burn 
less gasoline.
  I gave a speech 2 weeks ago in Chicago to a group of professional 
engineers and talked to them about energy and about the need for 
conservation. They stood up and said: We can't understand why the 
Senate doesn't get it. Why aren't we moving toward more fuel efficiency 
and more fuel economy?
  Well, the honest answer is this: The Big Three in Detroit have been 
slow to this issue. Once again, they were scooped by the Japanese who 
offered hybrid automobiles long before Detroit offered them.
  Why, with all of our great engineering schools, with all of the great 
scientists and departments of science in our major universities, do we 
always run a distant second when it comes to this new technology on 
automobiles and trucks? I do not understand it. Detroit seems to be a 
year behind consumer needs and appetites. I hope that changes, and 
changes soon.
  I spoke to Dr. Bodman about this, and he reminded me it is more the 
province for the Department of Transportation than the Department of 
Energy. But when we consider an energy bill Senator Domenici will bring 
to the floor soon, look closely to see if there will be one word in 
there about fuel efficiency in cars and trucks. The last time there was 
scant reference to this challenge we face.
  Well, we have to look at that from a new perspective, an honest 
perspective that will not only help us and our environment and lessen 
our dependence on foreign oil but force some changes in the countries 
in the Middle East which, sadly, will not change unless there is some 
outside force.

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