Bingaman on House Passage of Energy Bill
December 18, 2007
03:41 PM
Chairman Bingaman
on
House Passage of 2007 Energy Bill
Dec. 18, 2007
“As when the Senate passed this bill by a margin of 86-8, this is an important bipartisan victory for all Americans. After many years of struggle, we are enacting needed and long-overdue requirements for more fuel-efficient vehicles and more energy-efficient appliances, especially for lighting. These accomplishments alone will fundamentally change the everyday life of Americans. Our improvements in vehicle fuel economy, combined with the shift to renewable fuels contained in the legislation, will help our nation be more secure in the face of uncertain world energy markets. The provisions of the bill that expand programs for carbon capture and storage will help us transform our energy system into one that can meet the demands of a future threatened by global warming.
"Some of the provisions we tried to include in the bill were blocked, just as meaningful CAFE increases were blocked in previous energy bills. But advances in areas like renewable electricity and a forward-looking energy tax policy will not be blocked forever. Americans overwhelmingly favor these reforms. We will be back next year to vote on them, and we will keep up our advocacy until Congress finally catches up to the American people."
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