WASHINGTON, D.C. - Senator Barbara A. Mikulski (D-Md.) today joined Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.), Senator Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and several of her Democratic colleagues to introduce the Clean Energy Development for a Growing Economy (EDGE) Act of 2006.
"The American public needs relief - real solutions to what we are going to do to become energy independent. We know people are nervous about rising energy costs and we know what it means to their families," said Senator Mikulski. "We need to keep America rolling. Where is President Bush? This administration has no answer. But we do."
The Clean EDGE Act calls for a major investment in the research, development and production of the alternative energy vehicles, fuels and technologies that will break our nation's addiction to foreign oil. The bill launches an aggressive effort to increase the number of alternative fuel vehicles sold, protect consumers from gas price gouging and market manipulation, reduce our dependence on fossil fuels by putting the federal government in the lead in reducing our dependence on foreign oil, and leveling the playing field for new renewable and energy efficient technologies.
The bill's co-sponsors include Senators Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Christopher J. Dodd (D-Conn.), Mel Menendez (D-N.J.), Tim Johnson (D-S.D.), Thomas R. Carper (D-Del.), Mark Dayton (D-Minn.), John F. Kerry (D-Mass.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and Ken Salazar (D-Colo.).
This new legislation is the latest in Energy Independence 2020 (EI2020), the campaign to make America energy independent that Democrats announced last October. Democrats believe that skyrocketing gas prices and the national security risk of America's oil addiction make an immediate campaign for energy independence all the more important.
The opinions expressed in this article represent the views of Senator Barbara Mikulski, or the specific person or organization that is quoted. Senator Mikulski is one of two federal senators for the state of Maryland. She is classified as a Class III Senator. Senators are elected to six-year terms, and every two years the members of one class-approximately one-third of the Senators-face election or reelection. Terms for Senators in Class I expire in 2007, Class II in 2009, and Class III in 2011.
Ms. Mikulski's website is located at http://mikulski.senate.gov/. Her office can be reached at (202) 224-4654. More biographical info on Ms. Mikulski can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbara_Mikulski.