On the recordDecember 22, 2010
we come to the end of this Congress having once again failed to harness the economic potential achievable through reform of our Nation's energy portfolio or to heed the dire warnings put forth by our planet about the effects of our relentless carbon pollution. The results of our failure are many and are significant. With our economy now at the forefront of our minds, you would think we would have paid more attention to the economic imperative of energy reform. As the global economic race to clean energy rushes by around us, you would think we would have exhibited more concern at the prospect of being left behind. Instead, we remain engaged as a nation in a de facto policy of unilateral economic disarmament in the battle for command of tomorrow's energy economy. We are surrendering to China, to the European Union, to competitors around the world. The United States invented the first solar cell, but we now rank fifth among countries that manufacture solar components.
