Heavy Duty Hybrid Vehicle Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 2008

I thank my colleague from Texas for yielding.

We are talking about the need to improve our ability to use the energy that we have in this country and certainly to get additional energy, and I want to call to the attention of people who are paying attention to this debate something that has come out in the press which we Republicans have been saying for a long time, and it has to do with the no-energy bill that passed the House last week.

I am going to hit some high spots, and, Mr. Speaker, then I would like to put the rest of the material into the Record.

Mr. Speaker, the Boston Globe op-ed by Jeff Jacoby, 9/21/08, the title, ``Speaker Pelosi's Bill, a Feint of Supporting Offshore Exploration That Would Actually Make Drilling More Difficult.''

``The bill permanently bans all drilling within 50 miles of the U.S. companies, which just happens to where most of the recoverable oil and gas reserves are.''

The Wall Street Journal editorial, ``Pelosi's Drilling Ruse.''

``The sudden pro-drilling makeover of the Pelosi Democrats has always had an air, a gale, really, of election-year convenience, and the House proved it Tuesday by passing an energy bill that would put any bunko man to shame. This confidence trick won't expand domestic oil and gas supplies even a bit. The real game was to give vulnerable Democrats political cover by letting them vote for more offshore drilling while making more drilling all but impossible, thus appeasing the party's green wing. The House bill shows that the Pelosi Democrats simply aren't serious about expanding domestic energy supplies.'' Wall Street Journal, 9/19/08.

The Oregonian from 9/17/08. This is a column by David Reinhard. ``Nancy Pelosi's Drilling Charade.''

``Pelosi's alternative energy choice? Snake oil. How lame is the energy bill that Speaker Nancy Pelosi had House Democrats pass through the House on Tuesday? Louisiana Senator Mary Landrieu said before the vote that Pelosi's handiwork would be `dead on arrival' in the Senate.''

The title of that article is ``Pelosi's Bill is an Obvious Charade'' and appeared 9/17/08.

Some other editorials. The Augusta Chronicle. ``Nothing. That's what this Congress came up with after months of high fuel costs and concern over our dependence on foreign oil and after a summer recess in which Senators and Representatives could have listened to the American people but did not. Congress came up with nothing, a fake energy exploration that would only weaken America.''

The title of that was ``They've Blown a Ruse; Congress Fails Yet Again.'' Augusta Chronicle editorial, September 21, 2008.

Another one, the Northwest Florida Daily News editorial, ``Don't be fooled by House Democrats' disingenuous bill to lift the Federal Government's ban on offshore drilling . . . It's a bill intended to give voters the impression that Democrats favor offshore drilling-- while maintaining their opposition to it.'' That's in an article called ``Drilling for Political Advantage,'' September 20, 2008.

It is refreshing to see that some of our newspaper folks are paying attention to what's going on in the House of Representatives and calling attention to it to the American public. Republicans did that all the month of August, calling attention to the fact that the Democrats refused to do anything to help hard-working Americans by lowering the price of gasoline. The American people deserve better than this.

I am going to give one more quote from the Wall Street Journal. ``This confidence trick won't expand domestic oil-and-gas supplies even a bit . . . As Congress runs down the clock for this term, the likelihood of reaching some grand pre-election energy bargain is vanishing fast. The House bill shows that the Pelosi Democrats aren't serious about expanding domestic energy supplies.'' That, again, was in the Wall Street Journal, September 19, 2008.

Republicans have a commonsense plan, it's called the American Energy Act. We believe in all of the above, conservation, alternatives, drilling for additional supply, using the money that would come from those leases to provide the alternative.

``Coming next week from Nancy Pelosi and the House

Democrats: legislation that allows oil and gas drilling on

the moon! The bill would have the same result as energy

legislation passed Tuesday--no increase in domestic oil

production--and it certainly wouldn't be any less cynical * *

* The Democrats' intent here is so transparent it's

embarrassing. Americans know the country needs to use all its

resources to power the future and speed economic recovery.

That includes offshore oil drilling--where the oil is.''

(``Let's Drill for Oil--Where There Isn't Any,'' Las Vegas

Review Journal Editorial, September 19, 2008)

``Pelosi, who opposes new drilling for American oil,

allowed the vote only because this summer Democrats were on

the wrong side of offshore exploration, which seven in 10

Americans favor. Unfortunately, the House-passed bill is

nothing more than a fig leaf for Democrats as they prepare to

face frustrated voters in November.'' (``Same Old Drill: `No-

Energy' Bill Risks Voter Wrath,'' The Oklahoman Editorial,

September 19, 2008)

``This way, Democrats can claim to be opening the way to

offshore drilling * * * under the restrictions included in

the bill, no real drilling is likely to happen.'' (``Drilling

Bill Lacks Substance,'' Buffalo News Editorial, September 22,

2008)

``If House Democrats were looking to give Americans relief

at the gas pump in the energy legislation passed on Sept. 16,

they failed. In a jarring twist, the legislation offers a

solution and then negates it. If Americans were hoping for at

least half a loaf from this legislation, they were

disappointed.'' (``Energy Legislation Less Than Half a

Loaf,'' Reading Eagle Editorial, September 20, 2008)

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6323) to establish a research, development, demonstration, and commercial application program to promote research of appropriate technologies for heavy duty plug-in hybrid vehicles, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 6323, the bill now under consideration.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

It is my pleasure to put before the House today H.R. 6323 by Mr. Jim Sensenbrenner, ranking member of the Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee of the Science and Technology Committee. By enhancing the Department of Energy's research program in heavy-duty hybrid trucks, this bill draws much-needed focus to a very critical component of the transportation sector, commercial trucks.

We are learning the hard way just how much the health of our economy can hinge on the commercial transportation sector. Skyrocketing fuel costs translate directly into higher prices for consumers since the large majority of products we consume or use, from food to building materials, are at some point transported by medium to heavy-duty truck. We must take measures to ensure that this remains a vibrant economic sector.

The heavy-duty truck sector also plays a role in our energy security and environmental health. Approximately one-fourth of the Nation's fuel use and the majority of transportation-based emissions can be attributed to heavy-duty trucks. One large tractor-trailer rig uses as much fuel annually as 48 passenger vehicles. We can see how even small improvements in their efficiency can have a substantial impact.

As with passenger vehicles, hybrid technologies hold the greatest promise for improving the fuel economy and emissions of commercial trucks, but considerable research and development is required to put these technologies on the road. While the technological requirements for hybrid trucks are very different, advances in this sector can benefit the domestic automotive sector as a whole by invaluable lessons learned in designing and manufacturing these systems.

Mr. Sensenbrenner and his staff have worked closely with the majority to ensure that grants under this program explore a wide range of hybrid technologies and applications. Mr. Sensenbrenner's bill represents a commonsense approach to chipping away at our energy challenge.

I believe this is an important piece of legislation in the large and complex puzzle that is our transportation sector, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

The bill we are considering now is a step toward energy for the future, toward investing in the kinds of technologies that will transform where we are today on energy to be where we need to be to complete in the global marketplace.

I am very pleased to be here in support of Mr. Sensenbrenner's bill that is a commonsense approach to making an investment in the kind of electric hybrid technology that will transform our commercial trucking sector so that we make the kinds of investments in energy that we have to make today to compete in tomorrow's marketplace.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6323, the Heavy-Duty Hybrid Vehicle Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 2008, sponsored by my good friend, Congressman Sensenbrenner.

While most of the attention of hybrid vehicles has been focused on passenger cars, large, heavy-duty hybrid trucks have received limited funds for Federal research and development programs. However, because trucks generally use much more fuel per year than passenger cars, the overall potential savings are very significant.

The Environmental Protection Agency estimates that a typical delivery truck using a hydraulic hybrid system could save up to 1,000 gallons of fuel per year. In light of the proposed savings in fuel use and resulting emissions reduction, the Heavy-Duty Hybrid Vehicle Research, Development, and Demonstration Act of 2008 aims to encourage the advancement of the needed technology to bring about these savings.

The bill directs the Secretary of Energy to establish a grant program for the development of advanced heavy-duty hybrid vehicles. The grants are rewarded in two phases. In phase one, grant recipients are required to build or retrofit one or more advanced heavy-duty hybrid vehicles and to collect required data. In phase two, grant recipients are required to produce and/or retrofit 50 heavy-duty hybrid vehicles, collect required data and report on the results.

In addition, the bill directs the secretary to conduct a study of alternative power train designs for use in advanced heavy-duty hybrid vehicles. Further, it directs the secretary to establish a pilot program through DOE's National Laboratories to research and test the effects on the domestic electric power grid of the widespread use of plug-in hybrid vehicles, including heavy-duty plug-in hybrid trucks.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 6323 passed out of the Committee on Science and Technology with bipartisan support and with input from both sides of the aisle. I thank Congressman Sensenbrenner for introducing the bill and Chairman Gordon for helping us to advance it. I think it makes good sense, and it certainly deserves passage.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentlewoman from North Carolina (Ms. Foxx).

Mr. Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the motions to suspend the rules relating to the following measures be considered as adopted in the form considered by the House on Monday, September 22, 2008, or Tuesday, September 23, 2008, as applicable:

H.R. 160, H.R. 2933, H.R. 4828, H.R. 6323, H.R. 2994, and H.R. 1532.