CONGRESS: Shays applauds bill to repeal oil-gas subsidies: "“I rise in support of H.R. 6, the CLEAN Energy Act. Protecting our environment and promoting energy independence are two of the most important jobs I have as a member of Congress.
“I have long advocated repealing some of the tax breaks we give oil companies as ‘incentives’ because our current market place provides adequate incentive as is to find additional sources of oil.
“I also support using the $14 billion this bill will save in royalty relief to fund a renewable energy and efficient energy trust fund.
“The bottom line is we are not resolving our energy needs because we are not conserving. We’ll just continue to consume more and waste more, consume more and waste more, and act like it doesn’t matter. This legislation is a first step to begin to address our energy needs.
“This bill is similar to a provision in my energy legislation, the Energy for Our Future Act, which also repeals extraneous oil and gas company tax breaks. This is just one of the three principal goals the Energy For Our Future Act has for our national energy policy. I also hope Congress works to improve the fuel efficiency of passenger vehicles, provide incentives for the purchase of energy-efficient appliances and promote the growth of renewable energy, all three of which I deal with in my legislation.
“In the past we have taken steps to increase our supply with no focus on our need to conserve. I am pleased to see legislation that finally recognizes that we are on a demand course that is simply unsustainable if we do not take control of our over-consumption."
