Kerry letter guides Rice to make "addicted to oil" a priority goal

[blm]

Kerry will be questioning Rice tomorrow at a hearing and he sent her this little missive signed by 4 other senators. Looks like he wants to hold Bush accountable for his little promise from the SOTU.





February 13, 2006

Dear Secretary Rice:

In his State of the Union address last week, President Bush stated, "America is addicted to oil," and called for the United States to cut Middle East oil imports by 75 percent within 20 years. Yet last week, the President proposed a budget that does not make that important goal a priority and will not make it a reality.

Transportation accounts for the greatest amount of America’s oil consumption. If the President were serious about reducing our oil dependency, he would make a major push to reduce this consumption through new technology. Instead, the President’s energy budget actually cuts vehicle energy efficiency research by nearly 9 percent; and his proposed budget in this area is nearly 18 percent lower than the level prescribed in the energy bill he signed just last August. His proposed funding for hydrogen-fueled vehicles is barely a third of the total contemplated for FY 2007 by the energy bill. On top of this, at a time of record high natural gas and heating oil prices, the Administration is proposing to cut funds to vital programs that cut pollution and save energy like Energy Star and Building Codes Assistance; help the federal government save energy and tax dollars; and help low income residents save energy with the Weatherization Assistance Program so they can afford their utility bills.

An investment in alternative energy sources is also an investment in our national security.

Now is the time to invest more, not less, in technologies and practices that promise the quickest, cleanest and cheapest means of addressing tight energy supplies and extraordinarily high prices.

Increased American energy dependence further entangles our nation in unstable regions of the world. In exchange for oil, we transfer wealth to autocratic regimes that too often use the United States as the scapegoat for the ills of their nations. This has a real impact on our ability to win the War on Terror. Today, America spends more than $500,000 per minute on foreign oil -- $30 million per hour. We paid more than $42 billion for Persian Gulf imports alone in 2005. This hinders our efforts to promote democratic reforms and respect for human rights. And our oil dependence makes it all the more difficult to confront countries like Iran, which are emboldened by their oil wealth and influence to defy the international community. It is bad enough that these dollars will not help grow our domestic economy - - it is even worse when you consider their impact on our national security.

Moreover, we have to protect the foreign oil we depend on for our way of life. In recent years, U.S. forces had to help guard the pipeline in Colombia. Our military had to train indigenous forces to protect the pipeline in Georgia. We plan to spend $100 million on a special network of police officers and special forces units to guard oil facilities around the Caspian Sea, and continue to search for bases in Africa so we can protect oil facilities there. Our navy patrols tanker routes in the Indian Ocean, South China Sea, and the western Pacific.

The President’s new goal of eliminating 75% of America's oil imports from the Middle East is commendable, but unfortunately there is no Administration plan to achieve it. The bottom line is that the Administration's energy policy works for Saudi Arabia, it works for big oil and gas companies, but it does not work for the American people. In fact, just last week the senior vice president of Exxon Mobil asserted that, "This nation can't achieve energy independence ... It is simply not feasible in any time period relevant to our discussion today." When you come before the Foreign Relations Committee tomorrow, we would like to hear how America's diplomacy will help prove Exxon Mobil wrong -- and support making America energy independent and free us of the consequences of our addiction.

Thank you for your attention to our concerns.

Sincerely,
Senator John Kerry

Senator Jeff Bingaman

Senator Dianne Feinstein

Senator Jack Reed

Senator Maria Cantwell

[Mass]

1. Good question, given that the Energy dept has already said that they

did not mean it.

[blm]

3. heheh...looks like Kerry and the others aren't giving Bush a pass on it.

Condi will try to squirm out of it using alot of words that mean nothing.

[bigtree]

2. nice challenge

points up the fact that there's nothing but lip service, and little of that, from this administration on energy independence. And they make Bush choose between Exxon and his own words about oil addiction.

[blm]

5. Rice is always uncomfortable when she faces Kerry at hearings. He ties her

into knots with his questioning, yet few in the media ever even mention it. They always treat her as if she was a big success just for not bursting into tears.

[babylonsister]

4. As usual, Senator Kerry is on top of it! For him,

hearts!:loveya: :loveya:

[blm]

6. UPDATE: Rice WON'T testify today.

Wanna bet Frist forced the reschedule because of Kerry's letter?

Rice to Face Questions on Iran, Hamas By LIZ SIDOTI, Associated Press Writer
25 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Concerns about U.S. policy toward Iraq, Iran and the Hamas organization running the Palestinian government seem sure to dominate the questioning when Secretary of State Condolezza Rice next appears before Congress.

Rice's appearance Tuesday before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, however, was postponed because of the press of business on the Senate floor. She had been scheduled to appear on behalf of President Bush's proposal to give the State Department $33 billion for the budget year that starts Oct. 1.

But that issue is expected to take a back seat whenever Rice does appear because a wide array of international issues has moved to the forefront since Rice last appeared before Congress, in October.
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