Press Releases

Congressman Roscoe Bartlett Supports H.R. 6 Energy Bill

Original Cosponsor, Floor Speech and Vote in Support

Washington, Jan 18, 2007 -  

Congressman Roscoe Bartlett (R-6-MD) spoke to his colleagues in the chamber of the House of Representatives concerning his support and cosponsorship of H.R. 6, an energy bill and a top priority of the new majority Democratic House leadership. The bill passed with a bipartisan majority 263 to 123 with 36 Republicans including Congressman Bartlett supporting it.

Congressman Bartlett’s remarks were distributed live via C-SPAN. The C-SPAN toll-free number to order copies of floor speeches is 1-877-662-7726.

Congressman Roscoe Bartlett

Remarks, Floor Speech In Support of H.R. 6, General Debate

U.S. House of Representatives

January 18, 2007

@1:30 pm Eastern

Mr. McDERMOTT. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Bartlett), who is an original cosponsor of the bill.

Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland. Mr. Speaker, I rise as a proud conservative and Republican, as well as a cosponsor, to urge support of H.R. 6.

Oil and natural gas are not forever. When we burn them, they are gone. The U.S. has only 2 percent of known oil reserves. We use 25 percent of the world's oil and import two-thirds of what we are using. We pump our reserves four times faster than the rest of the world.

I just returned from a trip to China. China is preparing for a post-oil world.

There are three reasons to pursue renewable alternatives to fossil fuels. One is climate change. A second reason is preparing for peak oil. A third reason is for national security risk of our dependence on foreign oil.

As predicted by M. King Hubbert, and ratified by a recent SAIC report, the world either has or will shortly reach peak oil. As a cofounder and cochairman of the Congressional Peak Oil Caucus, I can assure you that halfway through the age of oil, there is an urgent need for the U.S. to pursue conservation, efficiency and alternative renewable sources of domestic energy.

We have a moral obligation to leave younger generations some oil. I urge support of this bill.