Date: 2007-05-09
Speaker: WASSERMAN SCHULTZ (democrat)
Chamber: H

I think what is important for us to emphasize in the 30Sompthing Working Group here is we are about action. Our Democratic leadership under Speaker PELOSI and Majority Leader HOYER and Mr. CLYBURN. our whip. and Mr. EMANUEL. our caucus Chair. we spend a lot of time on this floor. The people who are watching see us doing a lot of talkifig. I mean. talk is nice. but I want us to make sure that we are getting across what we are going to be doing about this problem. The Speaker has made a commitment that has directed the committees that are chaired by Dem6cratic Members that. by July 4. that we will expand and extend renewable energy and energy efficiency initiatives. that we will make efforts to make our Nations farmers leaders in reducing our independence on foreign oil by promoting clean. domestically produced alternative fuels. They do that in Brazil. Brazil has become completely independent of foreign oil. In fact. our own auto industry. our American automobile industry manufactures vehicles to be driven in Brazil because they use an ethanolbased gasoline so they can be selfsufficient. It is entirely doable. Weneed to refocus. and our policies and committee hearings and legislation that will be moving through by Independence Day will move us in the direction of changing our dependence from the Middle East to the Midwest in our country. We will also provide incentives for an energyinnovation economy that will create new jobs and efficiency measures to help consumers and small businesses reduce energy costs. And we are going to make sure that we strengthen our national commitment to energy research and development for the next generation of highrisk. highreward energy technology. Wb have an innovation agenda that was part of the New Direction for America agenda that we ran on and talked about in race after race in district after district. People want to know that it is not just words. that it is not just lips flapping up here. We are going to actually move legislation and use our congressional oversight capability and leadership on this issue so they dont hear one more quarter go by where they see record profits from the oil industry. one more quarter go by where they are on a roller coaster ride for gas prices. We need to make sure that we help our colleagues on the other side of the aisle and the President of this cour knows what a gas tank is. Because ALTMiRE did make reference that I is a gas tank. but this is a pretty cient gas tank. This is a representat of a gas tank that probably dates b to the 1950s. Perhaps that is the I time that our colleagues on the ot side of the aisle or the President a( ally used one of these. That really i think. the only explanation for tQ insensitivity. It is our job to make sure that move this innovation agenda forw so we can make it a priority. Thai why rolling back those subsidies w part of our 6 in 06 agenda. One of the first bills that we pas in the first 100 hours in the majoi was a repeal of the subsidies that w given away to the oil industry t they literally said they did not nE How could they need them? They sitting on piles of money. billions dollars. and we gave them subsid We gave them back money that t] owed us. that .were royalties that should have earned because we g them the right to drill on governme owned land.. " It is just unbelievable that the pri ities of the administration would closer to the oil industry than it wo be to the people. It is immoral. It rE ly is. It is nothing short of immoral. We have to start thinking about ]i the decisions we make here impact r people. We stand in this Chamber ev day. And you know what happens was in the legislature in Florida. district is 450 miles from the capitol Tallahassee. and it is a lot further fr Washington. It becomes really eas3 think. for a lot of the Members to f get the impact of the decisions that make in this room on real people. N can easily become desensitized. Ma that is what it is. I know the President goes around 1 country and talks to people. But I way they set those events up for 1 President. as I understand it. he is i lated. They screen a lot of the peo that get an opportunity to be in i room with him. if not all of them just dont think he hears from enou people about the true impact of policies. It is the only explanation. If he was really hearing what peo. were saying and if he was really sy pathetic to the plight of people who struggling. and not just poor peoy but we are talking about mjddlecl people who have a job and who are. l you said. living paycheck to paychei and even people not living paycheck paycheck. Just because you can afford to y $55 to fill up your gas tank does mean it is okay. It shouldnt cost tl much. It doesnt have to. and we nE to make sure that our actions beco: reality and that we put pressure on t President to sign what we send h when we send it by Independence D.