America's continued dependence on foreign oil takes a bite out of
every family's budget and hurts our economy. It also undermines our
national security and sends our dollars abroad to support some of the
world's worst governments.
The United States should be spending more of those dollars at home,
investing in American jobs that turn agricultural products and waste
into renewable fuels, build a new generation of fuel efficient cars,
and feed energy to an electrical grid no longer dependent on the
fossil fuels that advance global warming.
I support cracking down on crude oil speculators, increasing
oil supplies now by releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum
Reserve, and fast-tracking domestic production by requiring oil
companies to move quickly on land already cleared for drilling.
Long-term, we need higher automobile fuel standards and more
alternative energy.
I support environmentally responsible development of our nation's oil
and gas resources, both on and off shore. Of the 94 million acres
under lease by the oil and gas industry, only 26 million acres or 28
percent are currently under development. The industry should be
drilling on the 68 million acres that are currently under lease but
not yet in development, and we should open new areas for drilling only
in areas that do not sacrifice our environmental future for the
consumption of today.
Federal incentives for the development of alternative fuels are an
important component of a comprehensive national energy policy. In
Illinois, for example, the installation of a new generation of wind
power turbines is poised waiting for passage of legislation to expand
the alternative energy tax credit.
It also is critical that Congress pass legislation to address climate
change. I supported the Boxer-Lieberman-Warner bill that was blocked
by Senate Republicans in June and will work for passage of global
warming legislation in the next Congress. We can reduce global warming in ways that create
new "green" jobs. And we need to redouble
our efforts to clean and protect Lake Michigan.
