Byron Dorgan: “That legislation represents legislation trying to reduce the oil intensity of the American economy. The calculation of…”

“That legislation represents legislation trying to reduce the oil intensity of the American economy. The calculation of where we are with respect to oil in this country is that we are dangerously dependent on foreign sources of oil, dangerously dependent on oil that comes from very troubled parts of the world--Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Venezuela, and more. That dependence now is over 60 percent. In other words, over 60 percent of the oil we need to run this country's economy comes from other parts of the world, much of it very troubled. If, God forbid, tomorrow a terrorist were to interrupt the supply of oil coming to this country, our economy would be flat on its back. So how do we reduce the oil intensity in this country? Well, you do a lot of things. I mentioned that 60 percent plus of our oil comes from outside of our country. About 70 percent of the oil we use in this country is used in vehicles.”