María Elvira Salazar: “I want to say I am very proud of this bill. I know a lot of work has gone into this bill. It is an impressive and…”

“I want to say I am very proud of this bill. I know a lot of work has gone into this bill. It is an impressive and thoughtful next step toward reducing our dependence upon foreign oil. In the coming days, I hope we can find ways to strengthen this legislation in some specific ways. I want to speak very briefly about four amendments that several of my colleagues and I will be offering in the several days ahead. The first amendment I intend to offer is the 25x'25 resolution, which establishes a national goal of producing 25 percent of America's energy from renewable sources, like solar, wind, geothermal, and biomass, by 2025. That resolution is a vision for where we want to get as Americans. It is sponsored by a great group of bipartisan Senators, including Senators Grassley, Hagel, Harkin, Lugar, Obama, and the Presiding Officer, Senator Tester. That legislation was introduced earlier this year as S. Con. Res. 3, and it has received widespread backing. It is endorsed by 22 current and former Governors and many general assemblies from across the country. Nearly 400 organizations, from the Farm Bureau and the Union of Concerned Scientists, to John Deere, to the Natural Resources Defense Council, have embraced 25x'25 and the vision incorporated in that amendment. I hope we can include that in this legislation.”