mr. speaker , i rise in opposition to this rule and this legislation . 
this legislation is a corruption of special energy interests , it displays an abject disregard for human health and the environment , and it fails completely to find consensus to address the impending energy crisis . 
today , we have the opportunity to lead and help the people of this country in a genuine and lasting manner . 
instead , we are turning our back on the people and are catering to the self-interests of the highest bidders . 
history will not look favorably on the actions of this administration and this congress . 
confirmation of this criticism is contained in today 's rule . 
the rule corrects an overreach by some within the oil and gas and electric utility industries . 
it seems the majority could not muster the votes to perpetrate a complete gutting of the clean air act 's new source review provisions . 
under the pretext of lowering the cost of building new refineries by waiving certain environmental laws designed to protect the public , a few bad electric utilities operators tried to hitch a ride and enact what they have been trying for years to achieve : enable their older coal-fired power plants to operate without adding modern emission controls to reduce harmful emissions . 
given the refinery industry 's high profits and cash reserves , i find it hard to believe that we need to endanger the public 's health to increase refinery capacity , but why should electric utilities be granted the same exemption from the new source review provisions ? 
despite the full support of the bush administration , the utility companies ' goals have been blocked by the courts and enforcement actions by the justice department which has continued to uphold the law and prosecute violators . 
the bill approved by the energy and commerce committee would have enabled refineries and utilities making physical changes that do not increase emissions above a maximum level the plant could have theoretically once emitted to be exempt from the new source review requirements . 
the late senator john chaffee , when crafting the new source review provisions , stated : [ o ] lder plants are operating well below their maximum capacity . 
to allow a refurbished utility to emit at its old potential levels could permit an almost twofold increase in emissions . 
*.*.* so this amendment could permit a powerplant , even one where its emissions directly affected a national park , for example , to refurbish or add a new boiler , to double its no [ x ] and particulate emissions , triple its so & lt ; cite & gt ; & lt ; /cite & gt ; 2 emissions and cover these so & lt ; cite & gt ; & lt ; /cite & gt ; 2 emissions by purchasing allowances and never have to demonstrate what impact this would have on visibility or other air quality standards . 
similarly , a powerplant *.*.* could increase emissions in one of these nonattainment areas and neither have to demonstrate air quality impacts nor be required to offset these increases of emissions as they are required to do under existing law . 
& lt ; p & gt ; beyond making it easier and cheaper to increase refining capacity and to prosecute for price gouging , what does this legislation do to wean our dependency from oil and from a growing worldwide shortage in oil ? 
nothing . 
in fact , this rule blocks us from even considering what is clearly one greatest opportunities to reduce the country 's dependence of imported oil . 
my colleagues representatives boehlert and markey had an amendment that this rule does not allow us to consider that would require auto manufacturers to improve the fuel efficiency of their automobiles by raising the corporate fuel economy standards ( cafe ) for suvs and minivans . 
had the current president 's father adopted tougher cafe standards , put us on a gradual path to 27 miles per gallon for light trucks and 34 gallons for cars , we would have displaced all oil we import from the persian gulf today . 
of course we would still be importing oil from the persian gulf , but our economy and our transportation sector and today 's auto manufacturers would not be reeling from the consequences of $ 60 barrels of oil and $ 3.00 gallons of gasoline . 
we are an oil-based economy , with about 60 percent of our oil imported from abroad . 
while coal , uranium and some renewable sources such as wind and hydro comprise a majority of the fuel used to generate electricity , most of our economy is dependent or exclusively reliant on oil , from fertilizers for agriculture , plastics for manufacturing to gasoline and diesel for transportation . 
you would think that , in light of world events and the vulnerabilities hurricane katrina and rita illuminated , we would have a different bill . 
world oil supplies have tightened , the price of oil has shot up to over $ 60 a barrel and many of our foreign sources of oil , the middle east , in particular , but africa and venezuela as well , have grown even less stable . 
this bill , while better than what was approved by the energy and commerce last week , is woefully deficient and heads our country in the wrong direction . 
it rushes us closer to the day oil shortages occur and sets us backward on our ability to address it . 
oppose today 's rule and oppose this bill . 
