IV 

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; 


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•HRES 971 IH 

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 


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(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 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep2 resentatives that the Congress should enact legislation to 

3 slow, stop, and reverse the growth of the Nation’s depend4 ence on imported oil in ways that provide cleaner air, reVerDate Aug 31 2005 02:14 Jul 30, 2006 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\HR971.IH HR971

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•HRES 971 IH 

1 duce emissions of carbon dioxide, and enhance America’s 

2 competitiveness. 

Æ 


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