[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 16093]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  2115

                          AMERICAN ENERGY ACT

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Ms. FOXX. Mr. Speaker, I don't think anyone could have heard that 
wonderful 5-minute speech just given by the gentleman from Tennessee 
(Mr. Wamp) without being touched and without reflecting on how much we 
owe our men and women who are fighting every day to protect us and to 
allow us the opportunity to do what we do here and for everyone else in 
this country to do what they do. I also want to express my 
appreciation. I feel very humbled to come here and speak after him.
  But I do want to talk about something that is very important to all 
of our military families, and that is the price of gasoline in our 
country and what is happening and not happening in our country related 
to that.
  In 2006, Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Hoyer, and many other 
leaders in the Democratic Party promised the American people if they 
would give them control of Congress, they would do things differently. 
They said that they would bring down the price of gasoline. Well, the 
price of gasoline has almost doubled under their watch, and we have yet 
to see any kind of plan.
  However today, House Republicans introduced a bill, H.R. 6566, the 
American Energy Act, that is a comprehensive measure to reduce gas 
prices ``by harnessing new technologies, encouraging greater 
conservation and efficiency, and increasing American energy production 
in an environmentally safe manner.''
  House Republicans will push for an up-or-down vote on the legislation 
before Congress adjourns for the August recess in 9 days. Our leader, 
Congressman Boehner, has issued a statement on this bill: House 
Republicans have a plan to lower gas prices by supporting more 
production of American energy, encouraging more conservation and 
efficiency, and promoting greater use of alternative fuels.
  Today we have transferred our plan into a single bill that reflects 
our all-of-the-above strategy. We have only 9 days remaining before the 
August recess, and it is time for Speaker Pelosi to bring this bill to 
the floor so Members on both sides of the aisle can give it the support 
we all know it would receive.
  A solid majority of Americans and a bipartisan majority in Congress 
support more production of American-made energy to help bring down the 
price at the pump. For months on end, Democratic leaders have instead 
clung to the anti-American energy policies that have driven gas prices 
to historic levels and increased our costly and dangerous dependence on 
foreign sources of oil and gas. By blocking a vote on the all-of-the-
above plan to reduce energy costs, Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader 
Hoyer and their colleagues in the Democratic leadership are proving 
themselves complicit in the financial crunch American families feel 
every time they fill up their tanks. Congress must not adjourn for the 
August recess without giving the American Energy Act an up-or-down 
vote, and House Republicans will continue to fight to hold Democratic 
leaders accountable until the American people get the vote they expect 
and deserve.
  What Americans need to say to the Democratic leadership: Do it here; 
do it now; do it for America. We can be energy independent. We have the 
means. The good Lord has given us the resources we need. Americans need 
to demand it of the Democratic leadership in the House.

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