Randy Weber: “I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding to me. Mr. Chair, I rise today in opposition to the gentlewoman's…”

“I thank the gentleman from Texas for yielding to me. Mr. Chair, I rise today in opposition to the gentlewoman's amendment and in support of the underlying reforms included in H.R. 1806, the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2015. This amendment would remove a limitation included in the underlying bill that prevents the Department of Energy from using funding authorized for the EERE Biofuels program to conduct commercial production of biofuels for defense purposes. The fact is that EERE already spends too much of their current budget on deployment and commercialization of renewable and energy efficient technologies instead of research and development. The DOE's ongoing effort to fund commercial-scale biofuels production for military purposes in cooperation with the Department of Defense and USDA is just one example. Redirecting funds from biofuels R&D is part of a broader problem. Department of Energy research and development programs should be focused on science, not creating a market for certain types of fuels. The DOE should focus on a new idea for the market, not a market for the new idea. The Department of Defense spends billions annually on fuel costs, billions. When viable biofuels technology is able to compete with conventional fuels--trust me--the private sector can and will develop commercial-scale biofuels production to meet demand. It is just that simple, Mr. Chairman.…”