There are very few things we can do, it seems to me, as legislators, that could be so beneficial as turning to cellulosic fuel.

I just wonder whether or not the Administration is going to ask for all the funds that we in Congress authorize for research and building cellulosic ethanol plants in fiscal years 2006 and 2007?

So would you support legislation that would take us further in the direction of commercial production of cellulosic ethanol?

I authored a provision in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 that required the EPA to study the health effects of the increased use of substitutes to MTBE.

I also authored a provision in the Energy Act that required the EPA to study the amount of evaporation through rubber and plastic car parts with fuels that contain ethanol.

I would greatly appreciate it. When do you expect that response to be ready?

I hope we can all finally find something that we can come together on.

We know that the surface of the earth is warmer and an increase in greenhouse gas as caused by human activity is contributing to the problem.

Yes, I know where they are. They're just too far away. We need more of them.

But we have to do more.

has thought been given about raising the renewable fuel standard to reflect the fact that we're actually doing better than we might have anticipated

I've said it many times but our dependence on foreign oil threatens not only our economic security but also our national security.

I have repeated many times that our dependence on foreign oil is not just an economic security issue but also a national security issue.

If you don't know, it would be great if you could get back to my office on it.

But you haven't issued any recommendations yet, but this is something that your office is investigating, at least, would that be accurate?

I'm sure many of these issues have already been raised.

But we can--and must--do more.

For these reasons, I was pleased to have cosponsored the renewable fuels standard that passed last year.