Leonard L. Boswell: “first off I would like to compliment, as many others have done, and justly so, Chairman Combest and Ranking Member…”

“first off I would like to compliment, as many others have done, and justly so, Chairman Combest and Ranking Member Stenholm for the manner in which they have worked on this bill. In my years in the legislature and in the years I have been here, I have never seen a better effort. They deserve a lot of appreciation for their hard work. As we all know, America has a long established strategic oil reserve in the event of a petroleum shortage or supply interruption. The creation of this reserve is a responsible policy that has protected our country and its industrial foundation from potential instability in oil and fuel markets as well as from disruption of foreign oil supplies. Since the inception of the reserve, our energy needs have become more diverse, and our capacity to develop and produce large amounts of clean burning renewable fuels has been tested and proved. Consumers, car manufacturers, commodity processors and farmers recognize that renewable fuels are quickly becoming a vital and integral part of our national supply of clean-air transportation fuels. The time is right to establish a strategic renewable energy reserve. Farmers can help America's energy security by dedicating a renewable commodity reserve to emergency renewable fuel production.”