Eliot Engel: “serious problems deserve respectful consideration. The intense polarization of the energy debate has been compounded by…”

“serious problems deserve respectful consideration. The intense polarization of the energy debate has been compounded by the leadership's insistence on repeatedly forcing Congress to consider essentially the same bill. Congress had a great opportunity to produce a balanced energy policy that is diversified, reduces our dependence on oil and invests in alternative energy, but our leadership chose to essentially recycle an old bill that favors special interests over consumers. This is not the way to make policy. American energy policy is at the crossroads and our national security is being compromised daily by our dependence on foreign energy supplies. Today, oil is at over $50 per barrel and we still haven't passed reliability standards to address the electricity blackout that assaulted the Northeast and Midwest in 2003. Blackouts cost consumers $80 billion, and yet this bill caps the necessary spending to do an acceptable job of providing reliability. Partisan politics have paralyzed this Congress into deadlock and our Nation's energy has suffered the consequences. Although I appreciate Chairman Barton's willingness to extend hearings on energy this year prior to the 109th Congress's consideration of the Energy Policy Act, I was very disappointed that a letter that 14 of my colleagues and I sent to Chairman Barton at the beginning of February requesting that our committee invite the National Commission on Energy Policy to testify went unanswered.…”