[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 153 (2007), Part 3]
[House]
[Pages 4244-4245]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 CAFE STANDARDS AND ENERGY INDEPENDENCE

  (Mrs. MILLER of Michigan asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. MILLER of Michigan. Mr. Speaker, this afternoon I will have an 
opportunity to talk about the war resolution, but this morning I would 
like to just talk for a second about energy independence.
  Several weeks ago we heard the President announce part of his agenda 
for making America more energy independent. But the real question is, 
how do we get there? The President laid out a plan to place new 
draconian fuel-efficiency standards on our domestic automakers, which I 
believe is the wrong approach to energy independence.
  It is the wrong approach because it would force our domestic 
automakers to invest in old technology and to stifle very exciting new 
technologies. Our domestic auto industry is nearing innovative 
breakthroughs, such as the usage of alternative fuels, new battery 
technology, and advanced hybrid vehicles.
  I believe it is in our national interest to provide Federal support 
to advance the auto technologies of the future to help achieve energy 
savings. Both General Motors and Ford recently unveiled advanced plug-
in hybrids that use a lithium ion battery. Helping that technology 
become commercially viable

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will advance our efforts to conserve energy by light years and to 
create great new jobs here in America.
  If my colleagues want true energy independence and a thriving 
domestic auto industry, we must focus on the technology of the future.

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