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WASHINGTON, DC – Thursday, U.S. Senators John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), and Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee John Dingell (D-Mich.) led 52 Members of the House and Senate calling on President Bush to convene a bipartisan energy summit to move America toward greater energy independence and security.
“Ford Motor Company is saying that the President needs to hold a serious energy summit about honest solutions, the question is whether Washington will be equally candid and serious or whether this city remains addicted to oil. We have to seize this momentum to find real solutions for our families and our future,” said Kerry.
“We need strong leadership, decisive action, and a bold long-term plan if we’re going to break America’s oil addiction and make energy independence a reality,” said Cantwell, a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. “Our nation needs solutions and a serious discussion among all stakeholders. A national energy summit is a crucial step toward greater national security and economic strength. If we’re serious about keeping America competitive and safe, we need to create reliable domestic sources of alternative energy.”
In a letter sent Thursday, a coalition of 52 Members of Congress asked President George Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney to convene an emergency energy summit to protect consumers, promote innovation, and spur economic growth through the development of long-term solutions to America’s energy needs. The Members of Congress are calling for an open and transparent summit to include oil companies, automakers, alternative fuel producers, consumers, scientists, environmentalists, transportation experts, state and local leaders, and other stakeholders.
“Securing our nation’s energy future is among the biggest economic and national security challenges faced by our generation,” the Members of Congress wrote. “The status quo—in which the security of the United States and the vitality of our domestic economy is left to the whims of foreign regimes and companies that may not have the best interests of our nation at heart—is simply not an option. How your Administration and Congress rise to meet this challenge will be one of the most important tests on which future generations of Americans will come to measure our leadership and resolve.”
Democrats are working to break America’s overdependence on foreign oil, protect working families from skyrocketing energy costs, stop unfair market manipulation by energy companies, and invest in reliable sources of affordable fuel.
The text of the letter to President Bush is attached
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