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....in regard to H.R. 4, the Securing america's Future Energy Act of 2001 (SAFE Act).
H.R. 4 passed in the House on August 1, 2001, by a bi-partisan vote of 240 to 189. I voted in favor of this bill. Although no piece of legislation is perfect, I believe this measure provides a very balanced approach to securing a reliable and affordable supply of energy to meet our National needs. Such a supply is critical to maintaining our economy and National Security. I appreciate you expressing the concerns you have regarding this legislation and the effect you feel it might have on the enviroment. I would like to share with you my views on these very important issues. although we may not agree on every point, I hope that we will agree on the fact that we need both a thoughtful National energy plan and a sound policy to protect our natural enviroment. Let me say that when I refer to maintaining our National economy, I am not simply referring to the DOW Industrial or NASDAQ stock indexes. I am also speaking of the needs of the low to middle income family farmer who cannot afford to pay exuberant fuel costs to run his farm equipment, and of the parents caught in poverty who must choose between new clothes for their children and a warm home when heating oil prices sky rocket. These are faces that are too often forgotten when we address broad National policies. They are also the people who are often most affected by our actions in Washington. Although you and I can agree that the needs of every American must be taken into account when voting on such legislation. I am pleased to say that H.R. 4 expands energy assistance programs to help low income families pay for home heating and cooling costs and weatherizing homes. Like you, I strongly support protecting the enviroment. I would never support a bill that would be detrimental to our enviorment. In fact, I have voted for many strict enviromental measures, such as requiring double hulls on oil tankers, the toughtest clean air law in the world, and numerous others. I pursued a seat on the House Resources Committee because of my sincere interest in our National Parks and public lands. I enjoy the outdoors very mcyh, and I work as hard as I can in the Resources Committee to help develop effective federal policies that address the problems facing our parks and public lands. Although some have suggested that H.R. 4 is "anti-envioroment," I believe that wehen we set the rhetoric aside and examine the actual language of the bill, we see that it in fact offers numerous enviromentally sound programs. These measures include $33.5 billion in energy tax credits and incentives over 10 years, about 80 percent to enhance efficient energy production and the rest for conservation, energy efficiency and enviromental quality. I also support investing in new technologies that will increase our ability to use renewalble resources including solar, wind and hydroelectric. Currently, ony around nine percent of our energy supply is met through renewable sources. You and I both know that we can and must do better than this. I was pleased that H.R. 4 provides tax credits for buying solar panesl, fuel efficient hybrid gas -electric cars, and ultra energy efficient appliances and homes. I was also glad to see that my colleague, Congresswoman Mary Bono, was successful in adding language to the bill that funds a Renewable Energy Partnership. I voted in favor of this amendment, and hope that this program will both promote the use of renewables and educate the public on these valuable resources. In regards to allowing limited high technology drilling in parts of the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), I was pleased to vote for an amendment offered by Congressman Sununu that would permit only 2000 acres from being explored. I believe this provides a balanced way to acquire a much needed supply of domestic oil in a manner that does not destroy this natural refuge. In 1987, the Interior Department estimated that there was a 19 percent chance of finding from 3.2 to 9.2 billion barrels of oil under the Coastal Plain. Four years later, the Department of Interior revised its findings and stated that there was a 46 percent chance of finding similar quantities of oil in this area. In May of 1995, the Department of Commerce reported the highest trade deficit ever -- $11.43 billion -- led by purchases of oil and petroleum products. I believe that if we allow limited oil exploration in an envromentally responsible manner, we can reduce our dependence on foreign oil and create jobs for Americans. I also think it is important to note that the vast majority of Inupiat Eskimos who live closest to this area strongly support these drilling efforts. In November of 2000, the Mayor of the Northern Borough in alaska spoke on this subject. In response to the criticisms regarding limited drilling, he said, "I have a different vision of ANWR. It is a vision of a land that is neither untouched nor untouchable. The ANWR I want you to see is not a vast frozen wilderness to be either conquered or abandoned. It is our home, and we are part of it. We belong there just as much as the caribou and the fish and the birds. We are the Inupiat, and ANWR lies entriely within our domain, entirely under the jurisdiction of the North Slope Borough, I am here to tell you that whatever happens within ANWR affects us first. We are the stewards of that land, and if we support a development plan, you can be sure that we will have examined it and found it to be sound. Our lives and our livelihood depend on it. In short, we know that ANWR holds resources that can be safely extracted without destruction to the ecosystem. And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the bottom line. In regards to raising the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards, let me say that I was glad to have the oppportunity to support language that promotes more efficient vehicle technologies. Alsthough forcing manufactures of Sports Utility Vehicles to produce SUVs that get the same gas mileage as small cars is not currently practical or feasible, it is possible to increase the use of biofuels and invest in technologies that limit harmful emissions. The SAFE Act orders a reasonable increase in fuel efficiency of SUVs that will result in a reduction of five billion gallens of gasoline over six years. In closing, let me reemphasis both my commitment to the enviroment and to helping secure the economic stability of every American family. I believe that H.R. 4 offers a positive and balanced approach to providing a reliable and affordable supply of energy. I also believe it supports sound and reasonable enviromental policies and promotes many new technologies. Yours Truly, John J. Duncan Mayor Of North Slope Borough, George N. Ahmaogak |