Statement of Congressman John D. Dingell, Chairman
Committee on Energy and Commerce

Statement on H.R. 3220

August 4, 2007

Mr. Chairman, this legislation represents the labors of 10 Committees. In the portion of the legislation written by the Committee on Energy and Commerce, there is not a single provision that a Member should feel justified in opposing.

It sets efficiency standards for appliances and buildings that, when in full force, will save 10.4 billion tons of carbon dioxide, more than the annual emissions of every car on the road in this country. It promotes the development of a smart electricity grid that will deliver energy to households in a more efficient manner, and paves the way for even more intelligent use of electricity that will make innovations such as plug-in hybrid vehicles even more promising. It improves loan guarantee programs at the Department of Energy to spur advanced technologies. And it makes the largest investment in our history in biofuels, along with promoting a much-needed biofuels infrastructure.

I recognize that some Members are unhappy with what is not in this bill. Some Members want us to be more prescriptive on the regulatory side, while others want us to be more permissive on the production side. We consciously avoided some of these controversies because we wanted to produce a consensus bill that could pass both the House and Senate and be signed into law by the President.

That bill is before you, and it merits your support.