 WASHINGTON: House Republicans gathered on the steps of the Capitol Wednesday afternoon to unveil the American Energy Act – H.R. 6566. This landmark legislation is an “all of the above” energy bill that will help reduce gas prices by harnessing new technologies, encouraging greater conservation and efficiency, and increasing American energy production in an environmentally-safe manner. Republicans are demanding Democrats stop playing political games and allow an up-or-down vote on the American Energy Act.
Congressman Joe Barton (R-Ennis), an original co-sponsor of this bill, led the charge at Wednesday’s rally:
“Today poll after poll shows that the American public is tired of paying $4 for a gallon of gasoline and $5 for diesel. Last week I sent a letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi of California, signed by 70 of my colleagues, saying let us have an up or down vote before we go home in August to work in our districts,” said Mr. Barton.
Rep. Barton went on to question the motives behind the Democrats reluctance to allow a vote on any real energy solutions:
“What are you afraid of? Are you afraid people might actually like us to develop more American energy for American families and America’s factories? Are you afraid that if your resistance to this bill will be shown for what it really is – a political ploy? Let us have the vote. Let us bring the American Energy Act to the floor of the House of Representatives during the next two weeks and show the American people what we’re made of.”
Click here to watch the press conference.
Bipartisan passage of the American Energy Act would demonstrate to the world that America will no longer keep its rich energy resources under lock-and-key. Not only will it help bring down the price of gasoline, but it will make needed investments in the alternative fuels that will power our lives and our economy in the future.
Below is a brief description of the Republican sponsored American Energy Act:
The American Energy Act:
Reducing the Price at the Pump through an “All of the Above” Energy Strategy
To increase the supply American-made energy in environmentally sound ways, the legislation will:
• Open our deep water ocean resources, which will provide an additional three million barrels of oil per day, as well as 76 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, as proposed in H.R. 6108 by Rep. Sue Myrick (R-NC). Rep. John Peterson (R-PA) has also worked tirelessly on this issue.
• Open the Arctic coastal plain, which will provide an additional one million barrels of oil per day, as proposed in H.R. 6107 by Rep. Don Young (R-AK) ;
• Allow development of our nation’s shale oil resources, which could provide an additional 2.5 million barrels of oil per day, as proposed in H.R. 6138 by Rep. Fred Upton (R-MI); and
• Increase the supply of gas at the pump by cutting bureaucratic red tape that essentially blocks construction of new refineries, as proposed in H.R. 6139 by Reps. Heather Wilson (R-NM) and Joe Pitts (R-PA).
To improve energy conservation and efficiency, the legislation will:
• Provide tax incentives for businesses and families that purchase more fuel efficient vehicles, as proposed in H.R. 1618 and H.R. 765 by Reps. Dave Camp (R-MI) and Jerry Weller (R-IL);
• Provide a monetary prize for developing the first economically feasible, super-fuel-efficient vehicle reaching 100 miles-per-gallon, as proposed in H.R. 6384 by Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT); and
• Provide tax incentives for businesses and homeowners who improve their energy efficiency, as proposed in H.R. 5984 by Reps. Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD) and Phil English (R-PA) and in H.R. 778 by Rep. Jerry Weller (R-IL).
To promote renewable and alternative energy technologies, the legislation will:
• Spur the development of alternative fuels through government contracting by repealing the “Section 526” prohibition on government purchasing of alternative energy and promoting coal-to-liquids technology, as proposed in H.R. 5656 by Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-TX), in H.R. 6384 by Rob Bishop (R-UT), and in H.R. 2208 by Rep. John Shimkus (R-IL);
• Establish a renewable energy trust fund using revenues generated by exploration in the deep ocean and on the Arctic coastal plain, as proposed by Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA);
• Permanently extend the tax credit for alternative energy production, including wind, solar and hydrogen, as proposed in H.R. 2652 by Rep. Phil English (R-PA) and in H.R. 5984 by Rep. Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD); and
• Eliminate barriers to the expansion of emission-free nuclear power production, as proposed in H.R. 6384 by Rep. Rob Bishop (R-UT). |