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 competitive-
ness. 
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 im-
ported oil in ways that provide cleaner air, reduce emis-
sions of carbon dioxide, and enhance America’s competi-
tiveness. 
Whereas the United States currently imports nearly 60 per-
cent 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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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 vehi-
cles, 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 im-
ported 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-pow-
ered or hybrid electric vehicles; 
(3) enhancing existing domestic oil production by in-
jected carbon dioxide captured from the utilization of coal 
into aging oil wells; and 
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•HRES 971 IH 
(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 trans-
portation planning, including the use of smart transit, ef-
ficient rail technologies, and intelligent systems for man-
aging 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 pol-
lution; 
Whereas concern over energy prices, oil security, and the en-
vironment are creating a worldwide demand for alter-
natives to oil, and American industry has a long history 
of innovation and has an opportunity to gain a competi-
tive 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, there-
fore, be it 
Resolved, That it is the sense of the House of Rep-
resentatives that the Congress should enact legislation to 
slow, stop, and reverse the growth of the Nation’s depend-
ence on imported oil in ways that provide cleaner air, re-
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duce emissions of carbon dioxide, and enhance America’s 
competitiveness. 
Æ 
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