DOMENICI, ENERGY COMMITTEE SENATORS COMMENT ON PRESIDENTIAL SIGNING OF ENERGY BILL

August 8, 2005
03:02 PM

Washington, D.C. – President Bush today signed H.R. 6 – The Energy Policy Act of 2005 – into law at a signing ceremony at the Sandia Lab in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Senate Energy Natural Resources Chairman Pete V. Domenici and several Republican senators from the committee issued the following statements:

Chairman Domenici:

“I congratulate my colleagues of both parties and on both sides of the Hill for what is now the first comprehensive energy law in 13 years. I particularly thank Sen. Bingaman, Chairman Barton and Rep. Dingell. I thank President Bush for his vision and leadership on this issue. Without his resolve, this bill would not have become law. 

“America now has a new energy law that will stabilize prices, help us conserve more energy and encourage the production and use of renewable energy. It will better protect our environment and address climate change by encouraging emission-free nuclear power. Finally, the law’s new efficiency standards mean we will be using less energy five and 10 years from now than we would have otherwise.

“No one party and no one body of Congress considers this a  perfect law. That’s the reality of bipartisan legislation; it requires compromise. But this law will make a real difference in our production and use of energy. I expect it to create jobs and bring new technologies – including a hydrogen car – to market faster than would have happened otherwise.

While some don’t like a particular provision or are unhappy that another one wasn’t included, I don’t think anyone can fault the open, bipartisan process used to write this law. I am as proud of the process as I am of this historic new law.”


Senator Craig:

"This Bill represents a framework for energy independence in the future through the use of cleaner technologies today, and the development of clean energy technologies for the future.  Senators Domenici and Bingaman have made everyone person in their state proud, and every American more secure through their hard work and dedication to producing this bipartisan energy independence policy for the United States."
 

Senator Thomas:

“With passage of the energy bill, Wyoming can continue to develop itself as a premier energy source for electricity. Energy companies and research projects will provide more and more jobs and income for the state. Through new technologies and development efforts, Wyoming will continue to assert itself as a key player in the energy market.”


Senator Alexander:

“It’s particularly appropriate that President Bush chose New Mexico to sign the Energy Policy Act of 2005, because this bill would not have happened without the leadership of New Mexico Senators Pete Domenici and Jeff Bingaman.

“To me, the most important part of this bill is that it should stabilize and begin to lower the price of natural gas. That is important for home owners, for farmers and for blue collar workers in America. We hear a lot about the importance of gasoline prices at the pump, but the bigger problem is the high price of natural gas. We have a million chemical workers whose jobs will gradually move overseas if we don’t lower the price of natural gas. Farmers are taking a big pay cut because of fertilizer costs. And home owners are paying too much to heat and cool their homes.

“The second thing this bill does is to change the way we produce electricity. There’s a new realism in this bill, because it focuses on techniques that will fuel our needs for the next generation in America. First, conservation and efficiency. Second, nuclear power. Third, coal gasification and carbon sequestration. And fourth, new supplies of natural gas.”
  

Senator Murkowski:

 “This is legislation that is long past due. It is significant and it has balance. There are good strong conservation and efficiency elements. The renewable side has considerable successes as well. And there is strong encouragement for new production from natural gas to nuclear to oil and coal – measures that will help increase our energy security.

“After going so long without a specific policy or direction we cannot expect any plan to offer an immediate fix to the problems we face. We have to start somewhere. We have to put in place the procedures, the mechanisms and the things that will work. The policy before us is that starting point.”


Senator Burns:

“This is a jobs bill plain and simple. Without affordable energy we cannot create good jobs in the fields of agriculture, trade, transportation, energy, and manufacturing—that is absolutely essential for Montana and for America,” said Burns.  “This bill will help us meet the growing needs of today while preparing us for the challenges of tomorrow, and it succeeded because it recognizes that our future depends on a ready supply of affordable energy coming from coal, wind, natural gas, hydrogen fuel cells, and nuclear, to name a few. I am proud to be a member of the committee that wrote and debated this balanced piece of legislation.”

Senator Bunning:

“After five long years of waiting, the American people are finally getting a comprehensive energy plan that will help provide them with cleaner and more affordable sources of energy in the 21st Century. This is a solid energy plan that will better utilize our domestic sources of energy and reduce our reliance on foreign sources while also creating jobs around the country.  I am especially pleased with the new law's clean coal provisions which will create jobs in Kentucky and keep our power rates low and air cleaner.”  

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