| Democrats Announce Energy Independence Initiative
Thursday, June 28, 2007
 Printable Format
WASHINGTON, DC—House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn today joined Democratic Leadership and Committee Chairmen to announce an energy independence initiative that will reduce our dependence on foreign oil, while creating new jobs and addressing the global warming.
“The launch of this bold initiative today reminds me of a day in the Fall of 1957 on the campus of South Carolina State University when my friends and I gathered around a television to watch Russia launch Sputnik, the first man-made object to orbit the earth. The little satellite that caught America off-guard started the ‘space race’ and a huge investment by the federal government in scientific research and development and education that has led to great advances in science and technology.
“Today we stand on the brink of a new revolution in America. We have a grand opportunity to create jobs, protect the earth and its resources for future generations and protect our families.
“The initiative, that we are announcing today, takes bold steps toward an energy independent future for America, an energy industry ripe with opportunities that are as diverse as they are deep.
“We are starting with the largest investment in history towards home-grown and American-owned energy. This initiative invests in ways to grow, produce, transport, and store biofuels that will power our cars and trucks, while creating American jobs and new economies in rural communities from coast-to-coast— Sweet sorghum in Texas, rice straw in California, corn stover in Iowa, switch grass in Minnesota, Sugar cane in Florida, soy beans in North and South Carolina, and we may have even found a good use for Kudzu throughout the Southeast.
“Not only will farmers have a part in this bright future but the technology and research industries will harness the imagination and ingenuity of the American spirit. We have an opportunity to create a whole new workforce sector of “green collar jobs” through training programs in solar panel manufacturing, green building construction and sustainable forestry. A major national investment could yield 3.5 million green collar jobs over 10 years.
“This initiative reestablishes the United States as a leader to re-engage the worldwide effort to establish a binding global warming agreement with commitments from all the major emitters including China, India and Brazil.
“But we understand that change must start here. The federal government is the largest energy consumer in the United States and probably the world, and we know we must lead by example; that’s why this initiative requires federal government operations to be carbon-neutral by 2050.
“Democrats are committed to charting a New Direction and providing opportunities for all Americans in that future. This bold initiative starts us on the right path toward a strong, and energy independent America.”
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