Thomas Daschle: “after months of hard work by the chairman of nine committees, we are today introducing legislation to establish a…”

“after months of hard work by the chairman of nine committees, we are today introducing legislation to establish a national energy policy. The bill we are introducing provides a blueprint for solving many of the nation's energy problems, and will provide the American people with clean, reliable, and affordable energy for generations to come. This bill recognizes that the use of energy has profound consequences for economic health, environmental quality and national security. The energy policy we choose to adopt will have long-lasting consequences in each of these areas. Today, we have an opportunity to dramatically reshape America's energy future, and it is an opportunity we cannot afford to lose. The strength of our economy depends, in large measure, in the abundant and inexpensive supply of energy. The periodic price shocks experienced by American drivers since the mid-1970s underscores the vulnerability associated with our growing dependence on foreign oil. At the same time, the rolling blackouts experienced by California last summer serves as a cautionary tale of the failure to guarantee reliable and abundant supplies of electricity. One of the greatest environmental challenges that our nation--and the world--will face in the coming years is the rising tide of global climate change.”