WASHINGTON - The House approved a major energy bill
President Bush a victory on a key domestic issue he has called critical to
economic growth and national security.
Against the backdrop of a war that put the spotlight on U.S. oil imports
from foreign sources, the 247-175 vote signaled the Republican-controlled
Congress' determination to complete the first major overhaul of national
energy policy in more than a decade.
"This bill is great for America," said House Energy and Commerce Committee
Chairman Billy Tauzin, a Louisiana Republican and one of the bill's authors.
"During this time of war and energy instability, it is more critical than
ever that we update our energy infrastructure to keep America safe and our
power supply strong."
Democrats complained that the bill, which includes $18 billion in tax
breaks - many of which would benefit the oil and gas industries - is skewed
too much toward promoting production over conservation. "This is an oil
company bill," said Rep. Jim McDermott, a Washington Democrat. "It's oil,
oil, oil. It has a greasy feeling to it."
Bush praised the House for passing a "balanced" bill, calling the vote "a
major step forward in the effort to secure our nation's energy future.
The Senate could pass its version of energy legislation as early as next
month, paving the way for talks expected to lead to a final bill sent to
Bush for his signature.
"It's fairly likely that [an energy bill] will pass the Congress this
session simply because politicians on both sides of the aisle and in both
ideological camps want to be able to tell voters that they've done something
to promote energy independence and environmentally friendly energy sources,"
said Jerry Taylor, director of natural resource studies for the Cato
Institute.
The House bill contains many initiatives taken from an energy plan the
administration unveiled two years ago. These include authorizing $1.6
billion to develop technologies that would reduce pollution emitted by
coal-fired power plants.
But the White House expressed concern about the bill's $18 billion in tax
breaks to spur more energy production and conservation - a figure more than
double the amount favored by the administration.
Also, Bush seems unlikely to achieve his prized initiative of opening
Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas exploration. The
House bill includes the drilling provision, but the Senate voted last month
to strip it from a different bill. The proposal is widely seen as doomed for
the year.
Nor is the bill's final version expected to include new fuel-economy
standards for motor vehicles, a provision sought by many Democrats. The
House on Thursday rejected a proposal to raise standards for all vehicles to
30 miles per gallon by 2010. Currently, fleets of light trucks - including
sport-utility vehicles, minivans and pickups - must meet an average of 20.7
mpg, due to rise to 22.2 mpg for the 2007 model year. The average for cars
is 27.5 mpg.
A main aim of the House bill is to reduce oil imports, which account for
more than half of U.S. oil consumption, up from 36 percent in 1973.
Lawmakers debating the bill this week made note of the 600,000 barrels of
day imported from Iraq under the United Nations' oil-for-food program. "The
war in Iraq has once again highlighted the importance of ensuring America's
energy independence," said Rep. Doc Hastings, a Washington Republican.
The 768-page bill includes a measure, popular in the politically important
Midwest, to double the amount of corn-based ethanol that would have to be
added to the nation's gasoline supply by 2015. Ethanol advocates say the
additive is a cleaner-burning, home-grown alternative to foreign oil.
The bill would enlarge the nation's emergency stockpile of oil, and promote
building a $20 billion pipeline to bring natural gas from Alaska to the
lower 48 states. Addressing problems spotlighted by California's electricity
crisis, the bill would prohibit trading practices used by energy companies
to drive up the price of power and boost to $1 million the fine for
violating federal laws governing power markets.
It also would extend a cap on the nuclear industry's liability in accidents.
Also, it would authorize nearly $32 billion for energy research, including
$1.8 billion for Bush's initiative to develop hydrogen-powered fuel-cell
vehicles.
By Richard Simon
Special To The Sun
April 12, 2003
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