Political Quotes

“I rise to recognize the hardworking men and women that are in town this week for the American Soybean Association's annual conference. Earlier this week I had the opportunity to speak at the conference and bring them up to date on legislation I have introduced on their behalf. As many in this Chamber know, after the Gulf War, Congress acted to reduce our national dependence on foreign oil by enacting the Energy and Policy Act of 1992. This statute requires State and Federal vehicle fleets to use expensive alternative fuels and technologies in order to reduce its oil dependency. Unfortunately biodiesel, a fuel derived from soybeans, was not included in the list of fuels that fleet managers could use to comply with this Federal mandate, largely because the fuel was still being tested and developed. My bill, H.R. 2568, the Energy Policy Amendments Act of 1997, which has 55 cosponsors, will allow biodiesel to be used in diesel engines across the Nation to reduce harmful emissions, clean our air, and increase the demand for soybeans, all at a reduced cost when compared to traditional alternative fuel technologies. Mr. Speaker, biodiesel is just one example of a good clean air policy.”