[Page H4685]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 REPUBLICAN DO-NOTHING CONGRESS REFUSES TO ADDRESS OUR NATION'S ENERGY 
                                 CRISIS

  (Mr. STUPAK asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. STUPAK. Mr. Speaker, at the end of this week, the House 
Republican leadership will once again leave town for another recess 
without seriously addressing our Nation's energy crisis. House 
Republicans have trumpeted this week as Energy Week. You would think if 
they were really serious about tackling this crisis we would spend the 
entire week debating a comprehensive energy proposal that would end our 
reliance on foreign oil and foster new energy technologies.
  Instead, we get more of the same from the Republican leadership. 
Energy Week has turned into Energy Day, a debate on one bill that would 
allow oil and gas companies to drill on the Outer Continental Shelf off 
both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Drilling off our coasts is not 
only environmentally and economically risky, but it is not possible for 
another 7 years. How is that supposed to help consumers today? The 
answer is that it is not.
  House Republicans are only interested in lining the pocketbooks of 
the oil and gas companies. If House Republicans were serious about 
addressing our energy crisis, the House would debate my legislation 
that would reduce the price of a barrel of oil by $20. Instead, we 
spend 1 day on a bill that does nothing to assist Americans with the 
high cost of energy.

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