-Caveat Lector- <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/"> </A> -Cui Bono?- WJPBR Email News List [EMAIL PROTECTED] Peace at any cost is a prelude to war! Rep. Blunt - America's Energy Policy Rep. Blunt - America's Energy Policy "We needed to have an Energy Policy House of Representatives - March 30, 2000 The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Blunt) is recognized for 5 minutes. Mr. BLUNT. Mr. Speaker, I was amazed at the end of the business day today when there was a discussion on the floor as to whether or not the failure to extend the law that authorizes the strategic oil reserve, and the concerns that many Members have about the Energy Department, somehow means that the Congress of the United States is responsible for the failure to have an energy policy for the last 7 years. It is exactly the kind of wrongheaded thinking that has allowed us to lull ourselves as a Nation into where we are today with gasoline prices, with heating oil prices. Certainly nobody is going to release the strategic oil reserve if that authorization is not extended for a few days. I think there is a very legitimate question as to who should control the strategic oil reserve. Should it be the Department of Energy or should it be the Department of Defense? What is the purpose of a strategic oil reserve? Is it militarily strategic, or is it strategic in some other way? In fact, what has happened for the last 7 years is that on all three fronts that we needed to have an energy policy, we have not had an effective energy policy. We have not dealt with the oil-producing nations that we have come to rely too much on for oil and gasoline. We have done everything we could to discourage domestic production. We have not done anything to encourage alternative sources of energy, and in fact, the Secretary of Energy on February 16 said that we were caught napping at the Department of Energy. The administration really did not expect to see these oil prices go up. That is the same Department of Energy that there were Members on this floor just a few minutes ago saying should unquestionably be given an extended ability to manage the energy policy of the United States. It is part of the same administration that, for 7 years, has really managed to perform the governmental hat trick of looking at the three areas that we ought to be thinking about for more energy independence and doing everything possible to insure that we would have more energy dependence. We saw the Secretary of Energy in the last few days and weeks going to those oil-producing nations that in the past have been our dependable allies, certainly we have been their dependable ally, and acting as if it was a huge deal to have a small concession of increased production from those countries. Whenever those countries, some of those countries, came to us and said, we would like young American men and women to come over and defend our country, we did not have the response that, well, we will see if we can do a little something, and we will do it, and we will let you know when it might happen. It will be out there sometime. That was not our response. Now to assume that that is an acceptable response, something is wrong. Either something is wrong with our relationship with those countries, or something has been wrong in maintaining that relationship. In terms of alternative sources, the Secretary of Energy just a couple of Sundays ago said maybe the answer is wind power. Well, the answer may not be wind power, the answer may be brain power. The answer may be looking at what we can do to ensure that we are not caught in this same situation 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 years from now, to become increasingly dependent on foreign oil, to do nothing to encourage alternative energy sources in this country, to do everything to discourage domestic supply. To do everything to really put the internal combustion engine at risk without coming up with any alternatives is an economic travesty. Our economy has some jeopardy right now because of a failure of policy. For our colleagues to stand up here and say that the Department of Energy needs to be congratulated for what they have done in energy, or the Department of Energy needs to be extended into the future without any question, or that if this Congress questions the Department of Energy, somehow the Congress becomes automatically responsible for the failures of that department and this administration for the last 7 years in this area, does not really meet the test of credibility on this floor or in the country. I think we need to look very carefully at where we are, how we got here, and what the Department of Energy has had to do with those results that are likely to lead to $2 gas prices and significant challenges to our economy this summer. **COPYRIGHT NOTICE** In accordance with Title 17 U. S. C. Section 107, any copyrighted work in this message is distributed under fair use without profit or payment to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for nonprofit research and educational purposes only.[Ref. http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml ] <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are not allowed. Substance—not soap-boxing! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, misdirections and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRL gives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. 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