Statement from Congressman Mark Kirk Regarding the American Clean Energy and Security legislation
For 2009, our top goal should be energy independence. I support exploring for energy off our coasts, expanding nuclear power and building a natural gas pipeline across Canada to lower heating costs in the Midwest – an "all-of-the-above" energy strategy. As a Navy veteran, I think it is time to set America's policy towards defunding Middle Eastern dictatorships by cutting our foreign oil bill, giving our troops less to worry about. That is why during the debate on the American Clean Energy and Security (ACES) bill, I voted for the Republican Forbes (R-VA) Substitute, based on the text of the New Manhattan Project for Energy Independence, H.R. 513. Our "Manhattan" energy bill set a goal of reducing our dependence on foreign oil by 50% in 10 years and 100% in 20 years. The bill cost $24 billion but would eliminate the $400 billion Americans currently spend on foreign oil. The bill backed solar, wind, hydro, clean coal and nuclear power. It enhanced research, especially in nuclear fusion, bio-fuels, carbon-capture systems and efficiency upgrades. Unfortunately, this bill was defeated by a vote of 172 to 255.
While less ideal than the Forbes Substitute, the underlying ACES bill would still lower our dependence on foreign oil by diversifying American energy production. As a veteran of the Desert Storm and Enduring Freedom missions, I believe it is time to break the boom and bust cycle of high gas prices and the need to deploy three separate armies to the Middle East (Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom).
With regard to the main thrust of the ACES bill, I am also concerned about growing air pollution, both from our country and overseas. I do not think we should ignore this problem. While the ACES bill is overly complicated, I voted in favor of the legislation to address these problems, looking forward to major improvements in the Senate. I would have preferred a bill that focused more on energy independence and less on some of the complications in the ACES bill. Nevertheless, the 1990 Clean Air Act signed by President Bush established a cap-and-trade system to reduce acid rain that proved to be a great, low-cost success. Much of the poisoned lakes in the east and New England have recovered from acid rain. In the coming Senate debate, I hope we can repeat this environmental success and aggressively back a national program to defund Iran and Venezuela by reducing America's need for foreign oil.
For 2009, our top goal should be energy independence. I support exploring for energy off our coasts, expanding nuclear power and building a natural gas pipeline across Canada to lower heating costs in the Midwest - an "all-of-the-above" energy strategy.
Republican Mark Kirk of Illinois, who drafted the Iran language with Lowey, said it targets Reliance Industries Limited, a major Indian company that has sold refined petroleum to Iran in the past. The company received $900 million in loan guarantees from the Export-Import Bank.
Kirk, the co-chairman of the Iran Working Group, said the amendment was aimed specifically at Reliance Industries Limited, an Indian company that provides about a third of Iran's daily gasoline imports. In 2007 and 2008, the U.S. Export-Import Bank approved two loan guarantees, totaling $900 million, for Reliance to expand one of its refineries.
"I don't think that is the right thing to do right now. We shouldn't be helping [President Mahmoud] Ahmadinejad out of his gasoline problem as he is shooting kids in Tehran," Kirk said. "We should at least help establish that Ahmadinejad doesn't deserve U.S. taxpayer funding."
"While students are murdered in the streets of Tehran, we should not use taxpayer money to bolster the Iranian economy," said Republican Representative Mark Kirk of Illinois.
"In 2005, Cong. Vern Ehlers of Michigan and I authored the Great Lakes Collaboration Implementation Act -- the blueprint for an interagency effort to preserve and protect the drinking water for more than 30 million Americans," said Kirk, who co-chairs the Congressional Great Lakes Task Force.
"Approximately $50 billion in long-term benefits will result from implementing the recommendations of the Great Lakes Collaboration Strategy, including increasing property values as pollution is removed."
"Many city bus companies used federal stimulus funds to add hybrid buses to their fleets," Congressman Kirk said. "Pace is going the opposite direction and plans to buy 58 older-technology diesel buses. It's time for Pace to go green."
