Congress Responds

Well, at least the three that I wrote to. I think Baron Hill has the most favorable response. At least his letter felt less like a ‘form letter’ than the others. But, it was not recently written, as he is still referring to ‘current gas prices’. I also believe he does the best job at sitting on the fence because of his unwavering non-commitment to the Picken’s Plan. Note the second paragraph in his response. I will post the Picken’s Pledge for those who did not learn it during our recent $4 per gallon gasoline crisis.

Source: http://www.pickensplan.com/thepledge

T. Boone Pickens’ Energy Independence Pledge
We will no longer stand by and watch as America’s national security and economy become
more dependent on the unstable foreign nations that we rely on for nearly 70% of the oil we
use each day.
We spend nearly $700 billion every year buying foreign oil, which represents the greatest
transfer of wealth in the history of mankind.
President‐elect Obama and the 111th Congress need to enact an energy plan that reduces our
foreign oil dependence by at least 30% within ten years.
This plan must include proven American technology and resources; the development of new
energy sources; and the expansion and modernization of the national electrical grid to
transport renewable energy to homes and businesses.
Delaying any further means tacit support for continuing America’s addiction to foreign oil.
I join with T. Boone Pickens and his army of supporters in calling for an
Energy Independence Plan to be enacted within the first 100 days of the
Obama Administration.
__________________________________________________________
Signature Date
__________________________________________________________
Name (Please Print) Organization
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Email Address Phone Number
__________________________________________________________
Address
__________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip Code
Comments:
Please fax to (888) 2829754
Paid for by Pickens Plan • PO Box 12123, Dallas, TX 75225 • (877) 872‐3247 • PickensPlan.com

Now read Baron Hill’s response. This is an email paid for by the American taxpayer, and as such, should be public domain. I have removed some line breaks. Source: My Mailbox…

Dear Mr. Green,

Thank you for contacting me about T. Boone Pickens’ energy pledge. I appreciate hearing your concerns on this matter.

I share T. Boone Pickens’ belief that we cannot continue to be dependant on unstable regimes to supply fuel for our citizens. There is no silver bullet to solving our energy problems, but there are a multitude of technologies and approaches that can reduce our need for energy, cleanly produce energy, and make more efficient use of our existing infrastructure. While I share the core assertions of the “Pickens Pledge,” I will not sign the pledge because I do not want to favor one particular energy source over another. During these tough times, I believe all options should be discussed to help our nation become more energy independent.

I am happy to report that during the 110th Congress I have supported several pieces of legislation that would help end our dependence on foreign oil and foster the continuing development of alternative and renewable fuels. The President signed H.R. 6, the Energy Independence and Security Act, into law on December 19, 2007. This legislation is designed to increase and expand domestic and renewable energy sources, as well as increase conservation. Long-term solutions must include a realistic and comprehensive national energy policy without the political partisanship that has plagued recent energy legislation. Many alternative fuels, such as corn-based and cellulosic ethanol, biomass fuels, and clean coal fuels, have the potential to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. In order to fulfill the potential of these new forms of fuel, we need to continue to fund research that helps bring these products to the market.

To that end, I supported H.R. 364 which creates an advanced research project agency focusing on transformational research in the energy field. This bill was included in the larger energy package that was signed into law last December. By passing H.R. 547, we will invest in research that will allow alternative fuels to be transported to delivery stations through our current fuel delivery infrastructure. Lowering the cost of switching to alternative fuels should encourage local businesses to make the switch. I have also cosponsored H.R. 635, which requires all gasoline sold to have 10% renewable fuel content by 2012. To address energy efficiency, I have introduced a bill with Representative McCaul (TX-R) to help create more energy efficient buildings.

Investing in new technologies will spur American innovation and business development and create thousands of new jobs. Recently, I supported H.R. 6049, the Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act of 2008, which passed the House on May 21, 2008 by a vote of 263-160. H.R. 6049 would extend and expand tax incentives for renewable energy and close loopholes allowing U.S. corporations and executives to avoid U.S. taxes by shipping jobs and investment overseas. Additionally, I am a cosponsor of H.R. 6709, the National Conservation, Environment, and Energy Independence Act, which would provide tax extensions and tax deductions of 5 years or greater for solar, biodiesel, and plug-in hybrid cars. The bill also would create a fund that devotes resources to researching and developing wind, solar, and carbon capture and sequestration programs.

Current gas prices are a burdensome reminder of our dependence on an unstable energy supply. We must work together toward a future in which we have a stable, domestic supply of energy. Thank you again for contacting me about this critical issue. Please do not hesitate to write or call me at 202.225.5315 if I can ever help you in any way. If you would like periodic email updates on my Congressional activities, please visit http://baronhill.house.gov.

You will note that Picken’s Plan does not mention any specific form of energy except electricity, which could be produced by any number of economical sources. Now, the only reason I can think of that he would hedge on backing Picken’s Plan is that it doesn’t specifically mention ethanol. Remember, Indiana is a corn state, intent on making food into fuel, increased carbon footprint notwithstanding. Perhaps he is the last to know that the truth is out about ethanol. To wit, in my hometown, there are no less than 50 empty, brand new railroad tank cars being stored by the local rail company. These cars were intended for the boom in ethanol. They now sit idle, future unknown, except that they will probably never contain the food-become-fuel.

This post has gone on long enough. I have 2 other replies from Evan Bayh and Dick Lugar, both Senators from the corn state of Indiana. As they are obviously form letters, and not very up to date, I will save them for later Congress-bashing.

Don’t forget what $4 per gallon gasoline felt like. Make our deadbutt Congressmen (I know… there’s a woman banging the gavel) take action. Remember, they don’t give a rip. They don’t buy gasoline, you buy it for them.

Wishing for some Common Sense,

Duke Green