[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 13]
[House]
[Page 17195]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                               GAS PRICES

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman North Carolina (Mr. Etheridge) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. ETHERIDGE. Mr. Speaker, right now in my district in rural North 
Carolina, folks are very concerned about the high cost of fuel. I rise 
tonight to call on this Congress to take action now to help the people 
who are suffering from this very serious crisis, not only in my 
district and State, but really in this country.
  Gas prices are higher than they have ever been in the history of our 
country, and rural Americans are getting hit particularly hard. Our 
farmers are watching most of the profits from the crops that they 
harvest go back into their fuel tanks or their tractors and their 
equipment.
  Our school districts in rural North Carolina are having trouble 
keeping the buses on the road. Rural Americans as a whole feel a 
greater pinch from these outrageous fuel prices. They have longer 
commutes just to get to the grocery store, to the doctor's office and 
to their church on Sunday.
  Yet, while Americans are struggling to make ends meet, big oil 
companies are making record profits.
  I support legislation to crack down on price gouging of gasoline and 
fuel. I also believe that it is our duty in this body to find 
alternatives to what has become a dangerous reliance on foreign oil.
  As the co-chairman of the Democratic Rural Working Group, we have 
introduced H.R. 5372, the Biofuels Act of 2006. This is legislation 
that will help bring Americans a step closer to energy independence.
  Today, we have the technology to solve our energy crisis. Other 
countries are already making significant progress and are far ahead of 
the United States in their energy independence. Countries such as 
Brazil already use over 80 percent ethanol and biodiesel, and they are 
100 percent energy independent.
  The Biofuels Act would increase production of vehicles that are E85 
compatible and provide the tax credits to service station owners who 
update their equipment. We have the ability to turn soybeans and 
cellulose into biodiesel and ethanol. What we don't have is the 
infrastructure to maximize our ability to use these fuels.
  Instead of the same old giveaways to big oil companies, the 
Republican leadership in this Congress should allow a vote on the 
legislation that we have introduced, H.R. 5372. Other countries have 
accomplished their energy independence. Americans can, too. Now is the 
time. The answer to our crisis of energy is growing in our fields.

                          ____________________