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H736 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — HOUSE January 18, 2007
not threatening anyone, we must come Those in Congress who claim they As this country spends billions on oil
to terms with 3,000 American deaths want the war ended, yet feel compelled addiction, 75 percent of it being im-
and 23,000 American casualties. It is to keep funding it, are badly mis- ported from the most undemocratic
disconcerting that those who never be- guided. They either are wrong in their places in the world, I might repeat,
lieved the justifications given for our assessment that cutting funds would consider an estimate by the Congres-
invasion and who, now, want the war hurt the troops, or they need to be sional Research Service which shows
ended, are still accused of not sup- more honest about supporting a policy the recent increase in oil prices ac-
porting the troops. This is strange, in- destined to dramatically increase the counts for an additional $60 to $75 bil-
deed. size and the scope of this war. Rest as- lion rise in our country’s abysmal
Instead of questioning who has the sured, one can be patriotic and truly trade deficit.
best interest of our troops at heart, we support the troops by denying funds to While the oil companies manipulate
should be debating which policy is best perpetuate and spread this ill-advised the market, they continue to rake in
for our country. Defensive wars to pre- war. billions. During President Bush’s ten-
serve our liberties, fought only with The sooner we come to this realiza- ure, their profits have been record.
proper congressional declarations are tion, the better it will be for all of us. From 2001 until the first quarter of
legitimate. Casualties under such cir- f
cumstances still are heartbreaking, but 2006, ExxonMobil, alone, made $118.2
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a billion. Now, in the bill today we talk
they are understandable. Casualties previous order of the House, the gentle-
that occur in undeclared, unnecessary about $14 billion over 10 years. They
woman from New York (Mrs. MCCAR- made $118.2 billion over the last 3
wars, however, are bewildering. Why
THY) is recognized for 5 minutes. years. Shell has earned $82.3 billion.
must so many Americans be killed or (Mrs. MCCARTHY of New York ad-
hurt in Iraq when our security and our Shell, one company. BP has made $67.8
dressed the House. Her remarks will billion. Our bill today had $14 billion
liberty were never threatened? appear hereafter in the Extensions of
Cliches about supporting the troops over 10 years. Chevron Texaco has
Remarks.) made $43.1 billion, and Conoco Phillips
are designed to distract from failed
policies, policies promoted by powerful f made $31.1 billion.
special interests that benefit from war, CLEAN ENERGY ACT OF 2007 We are talking $14 billion over 10
anything to steer the discussion away The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a years, with $5 billion in the very last
from the real reasons the war in Iraq previous order of the House, the gentle- year. Recognizing that those compa-
will not end anytime soon. woman from Ohio (Ms. KAPTUR) is rec- nies’ profits were beginning to infu-
Many now agree that we must change riate the public, does it surprise you
ognized for 5 minutes.
our policy and extricate ourselves from Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, I was that gasoline prices just happened to
the mess in Iraq. They cite a mandate pleased to cast my vote today for the drop 75 cents a gallon during the run-
from the American people for a new di- CLEAN Energy Act of 2007. up to last year’s election for Congress?
rection. This opinion is now more pop- Some of us have been urging energy As we consider this bill today, prices
ular and, thus, now more wildly held independence for decades. In fact, across our Nation, conveniently, are
by politicians in Washington. But there President Jimmy Carter had it right dropping. Imagine, in a place like To-
is always a qualifier. We can’t simply over three decades ago when he said ledo, Ohio, they dropped from $2.40 a
stop funding the war because we must the Arab oil embargo was the moral gallon to $1.75 a gallon. Isn’t that
support the troops. I find this conclu- equivalent of war. But America lost strange during the week that we con-
sion bizarre. It means one either be-
sight of his compelling vision for en- sidered this bill?
lieves the support-the-troops propa-
ergy independence. We need to give Imagine an industry earning so much
ganda put out by the original pro-
birth to a new sustainable energy age in profits it can manipulate the world
moters of the war, or that one actually
that is bold and develops alternative and manipulate every single person in
is for the war after all, despite the pub-
energy supplies and the infrastructure our country. Imagine the jobs we could
lic protestations.
In reality, support for the status quo to support it. create if we were to dedicate $14 bil-
President Bush suddenly realized last lion, not over 10 years, but each month,
and the President’s troop surge in Iraq
year that we have become addicted to rather than spending that money on oil
means expanding the war to include
Syria and Iran. The naval buildup in foreign oil, of course, most of it coming wars in far-flung places, invest it in
the region and the proxy war we just from the most undemocratic regimes solar, in wind, in geothermal, in photo-
fought to take over Somalia dem- in the world. But during his adminis- voltaic energy, in fuel cells and hydro-
onstrate the administration’s intention tration, we are importing 1 billion gen and clean coal production and dis-
to escalate our current war into some- more barrels of oil from those very un- tribution. Imagine the jobs we could
thing larger. democratic places since he assumed of- create if we had vision.
There is just no legitimacy to the ar- fice. Simply put, his rhetoric doesn’t
match reality. These accomplishments that we seek
gument that voting against funding will require not just real imagination,
the war somehow harms our troops. I am pleased today that we took
some important steps in shifting how but real leadership. Hopefully this bill
Perpetuating and escalating the war today offers a glimmer. America will,
only serves those whose egos are at- Federal resources are dedicated, taking
them away from preferential treatment at long last, at long last, take seri-
tached to some claimed victory in Iraq
to an oil industry with record profits ously what President Jimmy Carter en-
and those with a determination to en-
and little social conscience. Instead, visioned. He was right then. He re-
gineer regime change in Iran.
Don’t believe for a minute that addi- we must incentivize a domestically mains right today: America must be-
tional congressional funding is needed owned energy industry that has record come energy independent. Our people
so our troops can defend themselves or potential, a shift that America wants want it. Why shouldn’t this Congress
extricate themselves from the war and we must take. deliver it?
zone. That is nonsense. The DOD has While $14 billion over 10 years is
hundreds of billions of dollars in the nothing to ignore, it is still far too lit- f
pipeline available to move troops any- tle, especially since more than a third
where on Earth, including home. of this amount, a little more than $5 b 1915
hmoore on PRODPC68 with CONG-REC-ONLINE
We shouldn’t forget that the adminis- billion, doesn’t become available until
tration took $600 million from the war the 10th year. According to the Govern- The SPEAKER pro tempore (Ms. SUT-
in Afghanistan and used it in Iraq be- ment Accountability Office, this gov- TON). Under a previous order of the
fore any direct appropriations were ernment has spent more than $130 bil- House, the gentleman from Texas (Mr.
made for the invasion of Iraq. Funds lion on subsidies to the oil industry POE) is recognized for 5 minutes.
are always available to put troops in over the last 31⁄2 decades. So today’s (Mr. POE addressed the House. His
harm’s way. They, likewise, are always step forward is the first rung of the remarks will appear hereafter in the
available for leaving a war zone. ladder to energy independence. Extensions of Remarks.)
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