H4880 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE June 4, 2008 HONORING THE LIFE OF JACK stability and actually leads to the cre- that we must have energy exploration MILDREN ation of new energy. Coal-to-liquid fuel here domestically. (Mr. BOREN asked and was given will create an investment in rural com- When it comes to energy, America permission to address the House for 1 munities, good-paying jobs for Ameri- needs to rely on its own ingenuity and minute.) cans, and cheaper energy for Ameri- innovation, not the Saudi royal family. Mr. BOREN. Madam Speaker, I rise cans. f today to honor the life of a remarkable f LEADERSHIP DEMANDS ACTION Oklahoman. SUPPORT H.R. 3021, 21ST CENTURY Jack Mildren passed away on Thurs- GREEN HIGH-PERFORMING PUB- (Mr. PRICE of Georgia asked and was day, May 22, following a 2-year battle LIC SCHOOL FACILITIES ACT given permission to address the House for 1 minute.) with cancer. (Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of Cali- Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Madam Jack was born in 1949 and later was a fornia asked and was given permission Speaker, Americans are demanding ac- high school football star who to address the House for 1 minute and tion as they’re being battered by sky- chose to attend college in . to revise and extend her remarks.) Known as the ‘‘Godfather of the Ms. LORETTA SANCHEZ of Cali- high gas prices. Wishbone,’’ Jack led the University of fornia. Madam Speaker, I rise today in The relentless unwillingness to act Oklahoma football team in an appear- support of H.R. 3021, a bill that will by this majority has left my constitu- ance in the 1971 ‘‘Game of the Cen- help our local schools build the high- ents fuming and looking for action, not tury,’’ along with being the MVP of a quality classrooms that our students more of the same rhetoric and politics. win. He’s most widely rec- deserve. We sit at the precipice of four dollar ognized for laying the foundation for This responsible legislation, which gasoline. How much higher do these the success of the Sooner football pro- we will consider today, provides for costs have to go before the majority gram for years after his graduation. needed investments in public school fa- will act? Five dollars? Six dollars? Ten Jack left OU an Academic All-Amer- cilities, investments that will result in dollars? Is the Democrat majority so ican and went on to play professional improved student performance. out of touch with the American people? football for three seasons. Our Nation’s public school facilities On this side of the aisle, we have pro- Jack was not only a football star but are in disrepair. This is a disgrace, and duced an action plan to increase access also a civic leader and an outstanding it impedes our students’ ability to to new sources of energy, increase public servant. He was elected as Okla- learn. Local education agencies want American production, encourage alter- homa’s 22nd Lieutenant Governor. to make a difference, but they need our native fuels, and incentivize conserva- Most recently, he served as a banker as help. tion. We are ready to act. well as a beloved Oklahoma sports With our younger students, we know Madam Speaker, gas prices have in- radio host. that maintenance issues draw them creased 70 percent since you took con- Jack Mildren will not only be re- away from focusing on what they need trol of Congress, and it’s your duty to membered by his wife, Janis; and chil- to focus on in the classroom, when act. I call on you to allow the respon- dren, Leigh, Lauren, and Drew; but by they see chipping paint, water dripping sible Republican energy plan to come all Oklahomans for his contributions from ceilings, poor heating and cool- to this floor. to the history of our State. ing. We need to change that. And older Madam Speaker, idleness is not lead- We will miss you, Jack. students cannot be prepared for the ership. f 21st Century if they don’t have a 21st f Century classroom. CLEAN COAL-DERIVED FUELS FOR These examples are not just anec- ANNOUNCEMENT BY THE SPEAKER ENERGY SECURITY ACT dotal. There is firm evidence that sug- PRO TEMPORE (Mrs. CAPITO asked and was given gests that we must invest in our school The SPEAKER pro tempore. Mem- permission to address the House for 1 facilities in order to improve students’ bers are reminded to address their re- minute and to revise and extend her re- performance. By failing to do so, we marks to the Chair. are sending our youth a message that marks.) f Mrs. CAPITO. Madam Speaker, I rise we don’t care about them. today because gas prices at the pump So I hope that my colleagues will HELP OUR FAMILIES are just a symptom of our growing ad- vote with the best interests of our stu- (Mr. BARRETT of South Carolina diction to foreign oil and inaction by dents and vote on this legislation in asked and was given permission to ad- this House leadership. the affirmative today. dress the House for 1 minute.) For our wallets and for our national f Mr. BARRETT of South Carolina. security, we need to become more en- AMERICAN ENERGY Madam Speaker, I learned yesterday ergy independent. Congress should INDEPENDENCE from reports that the State of South start now to develop more of our do- (Mr. MCHENRY asked and was given Carolina has the lowest gas in the Na- mestic energy supply. And one of those permission to address the House for 1 tion. It was reported that the average more affordable and abundant supplies minute.) gas price in South Carolina is $3.79, and of energy we have now is coal. With Mr. MCHENRY. Madam Speaker, it’s most other States have an average of over 250 years of reserves, the United high time Congress acts on high gas about 20 cents higher or right at $4. States has the world’s largest coal re- prices. The American people are crying A lot of people would think that’s serves. out for help and assistance; yet this good news. In fact, some would give me Last night I introduced H.R. 6170, the Democrat Congress is doing nothing the opportunity to congratulate South Clean Coal-Derived Fuels for Energy when it comes to energy independence Carolina. But I’m not going to use this Security Act, to reduce our reliance on for Americans. platform to deliver good news because foreign oil. My bill is clear: It will es- Finding a comprehensive long-term it’s not good news. tablish and mandate 6 billion gallons of solution is what the American people It’s not good news to the South Caro- clean coal-to-liquid fuel by the year want so that we can be energy inde- lina citizens or citizens anywhere in 2022. Coal can be converted through pendent, or at least more energy inde- this country. What would be good news proven, existing modern technology pendent than we are today. is to see that the ‘‘commonsense’’ en- into clean, synthetic oil and be eco- Conserving is a sign of personal vir- ergy plan that was promised by the nomically viable, resulting in lower tue, but we cannot conserve our way to majority party is brought to the floor. prices at the gas pump. American energy independence. The I am tired of my families putting We need to be serious about becom- Democrat plan is only conservation their hard-earned paychecks into their ing more energy independent. West and it’s only tax increases. tanks every week, Madam Speaker. Virginians deserve a comprehensive On our side of the aisle, we are trying The American citizens need good news, long-term solution that provides real to reach out to the Democrats and say and we need to bring energy legislation

VerDate Aug 31 2005 06:34 Sep 14, 2008 Jkt 059060 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 4634 Sfmt 0634 E:\RECORD08\RECFILES\H04JN8.REC H04JN8 mmaher on PROD1PC76 with CONG-REC-ONLINE June 4, 2008 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE H4881 to the floor now to help our hard-work- Mr. POE. Madam Speaker, out on the for 1 minute and to revise and extend ing families. arid, dusty high plains of west Texas, his remarks.) f where the land was once the home of Mr. BOUSTANY. Madam Speaker, as thousands of oil derricks, the landscape COAL TO LIQUID AS AN oil prices continue to climb, increasing is now dotted with windmills—the new ALTERNATIVE ENERGY American energy production is critical turbine clean energy. Texas is the wind to meeting this challenge. Yesterday, (Mr. STEARNS asked and was given energy capital of North America, sup- the Department of Energy announced a permission to address the House for 1 plying power to over 1 million homes. $715,000 grant to my alma mater, the minute and to revise and extend his re- But now the environmental fear University of Louisiana at Lafayette, marks.) lobby wants to stop these turbines be- to develop more effective ways to drill Mr. STEARNS. Madam Speaker, ac- cause they may pose a threat to bats for oil. Students and professors will cording to the Energy Information and birds. They are the same radicals work together, along with industry, to Agency, the currently who have successfully prevented Amer- achieve higher energy yields from each imports 60 percent of its oil, and that ica from drilling for more crude oil at drilling hole. Better exploration and number is expected to rise to 75 percent home, like in west Texas. These are the drilling procedures and techniques are in the coming decades. As a country, same batty people who have demanded just two parts of a comprehensive en- we need to reduce our dependency on we go to wind energy in the first place. foreign fuel sources and start imple- Now they are worried about the bats ergy strategy that we need to have be- menting alternative energy sources and the birds that fly at night may be cause a magic bullet will not solve our that can be found here in the United running into the windmills. Of course, energy challenges. It will not lower the States. there is no evidence to support this bat price at the pump alone. We need a Imported fuels such as crude oil and mania claim. Anyway, we all learned in comprehensive strategy. natural gas are costing this country third grade bats have a radar-like abil- People of southwest Louisiana and millions of dollars a year, accounting ity to navigate at night in caves and around the country want to increase for about one-third of the U.S. trade open terrain. The National Academy of responsible energy production, they deficit. At $45 a barrel, liquid coal fuel Sciences stated: Birds have more to want to see increased refining capac- is a desirable alternative to the $120 or fear from high buildings, power lines, ity, they want to unleash American en- more barrel of oil. Not only does this and cats than they do from the blades trepreneurship and ingenuity to solve innovative fuel cost less, but also coal of windmills. our energy problems, and they don’t is one of the most abundant resources We cannot allow the rich elites of the want any further delays because gas at in our country. environmental fear lobby to destroy the pump, as you can see, is just short As Congress continues to explore the America’s energy production. Other- of $4 a gallon. use of alternative energy sources, we wise, we will all end up going back liv- We have to stop the delay and have a need to look closely at the enormous ing in the dark caves, with the bats. comprehensive energy solution. I chal- benefits of coal-to-liquid technology. And that’s just the way it is. lenge the Democratic leadership to f f work with us and stop the delay. Let’s PENCE DEMANDS ACTION ON HIGH WHY ISN’T AMERICA DOING MORE? get a solution to our energy problems. GAS PRICES (Mr. BRADY of Texas asked and was (Mr. PENCE asked and was given per- given permission to address the House f mission to address the House for 1 for 1 minute.) minute and to revise and extend his re- Mr. BRADY of Texas. Madam Speak- RESULTS OF NOT DEVELOPING marks.) er, back home in Texas I visited with AMERICAN ENERGY Mr. PENCE. The national average families whose cost is so high that one cost of gasoline at the pump today is woman in Bridge City told me she (Mr. AKIN asked and was given per- $3.98 a gallon. When I was home over doesn’t even go to Wednesday night mission to address the House for 1 the Memorial Day break, one Hoosier church. She can’t afford to drive to it. minute and to revise and extend his re- after another stopped and asked me the Just on Sunday. I talked to small busi- marks.) same question. They said, MIKE, what nesses that now work, painters and Mr. AKIN. As America is becoming is it going to take? What is it going to plumbers and others, who now basi- painfully aware, there has been a result take for Congress to take action to cally work for free because gas prices of us not developing American energy. give the American people more access have eaten up all their profits. I visited We have reports of police cars sitting to American oil? this last week with our law enforce- idle because of the cost of gasoline; The reality is today that the Demo- ment agencies, who are no longer able various assembly lines and automobile crat majority thinks that we can tax to be proactive in the community. manufacturers closed down because of our way to lower gasoline prices. A few They are just responding to calls be- the fact that there’s no demand for the weeks ago, they actually passed legis- cause they burned through much of type of vehicles that are being pro- lation suggesting we could actually sue their fuel budget for the year already. duced. We have a situation where par- our way to lower gasoline prices. But In each case, every one of them asked ents have a hard time just putting the American people know the only me, Why isn’t America doing more? enough gasoline in the tank to get the way to lessen our dependence on for- Why isn’t America taking more respon- kids to school. And we have the AAA eign oil is to lessen our dependence on sibility for our own energy needs? We saying that the increase in motorists foreign oil. import two-thirds of all we use. We are without gas has increased 15 percent. We must take action now to allow capable of doing more. In each case, Since Speaker PELOSI took office, additional drilling in environmentally they said, Look, take a message back gasoline prices have skyrocketed 71 responsible ways on American soil off to Congress. No more gimmicks. No percent. Now, I am an engineer. The American shores so the American peo- more gimmicks. We need more Amer- good news is there’s a solution to this. ple can increase global supply, reduce ican-made energy here in the United It’s called American energy. We need the price of oil, and bring real relief to States to get our fuel prices down, to to stop looking at the American energy families and businesses and farmers at be less dependent on Middle East fuel, as something that is an environmental the pump. to have some say over the prices that hazard and rather look at it as an asset our families and small businesses pay. f that we can develop. f ENVIRONMENTALISTS HAVE GONE The Democrats, year after year after BATTY COMPREHENSIVE ENERGY year, 85 percent of the time, are voting (Mr. POE asked and was given per- STRATEGY against increasing supplies of Amer- mission to address the House for 1 (Mr. BOUSTANY asked and was ican energy. We have to develop our minute.) given permission to address the House own energy.

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