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[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 971 Introduced in House (IH)]

109th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 971

Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Congress 
 should enact legislation to slow, stop, and reverse the growth of the 
 Nation's dependence on imported oil in ways that provide cleaner air, 
       reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, and enhance America's 
                            competitiveness.

_______________________________________________________________________

                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 28, 2006

  Mr. Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania submitted the following resolution; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION

 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that the Congress 
 should enact legislation to slow, stop, and reverse the growth of the 
 Nation's dependence on imported oil in ways that provide cleaner air, 
       reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, and enhance America's 
                            competitiveness.

Whereas the United States currently imports nearly 60 percent of the oil it 
        needs, and the energy security of the United States is threatened by 
        excessive reliance for oil on countries that are unstable or hostile to 
        United States national interests;
Whereas, recognizing this problem, the President said in his 2006 State of the 
        Union Address to the Nation that ``America is addicted to oil'';
Whereas the transportation sector accounts for nearly two thirds of oil the 
        United States consumes, and oil is nearly the sole fuel that enables 
        transportation to exist; with over 97 percent of all cars, trucks, 
        trains, marine vehicles, and air transport powered by fuels derived from 
        oil;
Whereas the United States oil demand is expected to rise by more than 50 percent 
        in the next 20 years, fueled largely by the increasing oil demand of the 
        transportation sector, with much of the increase likely to be satisfied 
        by more imported oil, while developing countries are importing oil at 
        escalating rates, including China which is expected soon to surpass the 
        United States in volume of imported oil, exacerbating the increasing 
        competition between the 2 nations over world oil resources;
Whereas the United States possesses the technological means to dramatically 
        reduce the Nation's dependence on imported oil and improve national 
        security, including--

    (1) displacing oil with biobased fuels, which can now be produced from 
sugar-rich crops like corn and sugar cane, but could soon be produced in 
large quantities from crop waste, wood chips, switch grass, and other 
energy crops grown by the American farm sector;

    (2) displacing oil with electricity generated from clean, domestic 
sources of power, including wind, solar, geothermal, and hydrogen fuel, for 
use in battery-powered or hybrid electric vehicles;

    (3) enhancing existing domestic oil production by injected carbon 
dioxide captured from the utilization of coal into aging oil wells; and

    (4) improving fuel efficiency through increased use of strong, 
lightweight materials, hybrid drive, and other advanced engine and 
transmission technology, and better aerodynamic designs;

Whereas improving the Nation's energy security by deploying such technologies 
        could also benefit the environment;
Whereas deploying modern tools to improve regional transportation planning, 
        including the use of smart transit, efficient rail technologies, and 
        intelligent systems for managing travel demand, could reduce energy 
        demand, curb emissions of carbon dioxide, and also help protect open 
        space;
Whereas providing incentives to individuals and businesses to improve energy 
        conservation could reduce our reliance on imported oil and reduce carbon 
        dioxide and other air pollution;
Whereas concern over energy prices, oil security, and the environment are 
        creating a worldwide demand for alternatives to oil, and American 
        industry has a long history of innovation and has an opportunity to gain 
        a competitive advantage by filling the demand for alternative forms of 
        energy and low-pollution technologies; and
Whereas market-based approaches to achieve greater energy security will lower 
        costs and spur innovation: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved,  That it is the sense of the House of Representatives 
that the Congress should enact legislation to slow, stop, and reverse 
the growth of the Nation's dependence on imported oil in ways that 
provide cleaner air, reduce emissions of carbon dioxide, and enhance 
America's competitiveness.
                                 <all>
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