Thank you Mr. Chairman, for convening this hearing today. Two weeks ago, this subcommittee we held a hearing on carbon capture and sequestration technology. We heard from a variety of witnesses regarding the status of the technology and what steps must be taken for full-scale deployment; we also heard about the potential costs. Last week, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology released a report entitled "The Future of Coal," which examined the role of coal in a carbon constrained world. Much ... Read more

Thank you, Mr. Chairman for holding this hearing. And I'd like to thank the panel for taking time out of their extremely busy schedules to appear before us today. Some States and regions are moving towards a cap-and-trade scheme for greenhouse gases. Some, like Texas, are not. California is working on a system now after its law was passed last year. Yet, Texas has surpassed California as the U.S. leader in renewable energy. In 2005, the State Legislature increased the state Renewable Portfolio ... Read more

Thank you, Mr. Chairman for holding this hearing. And I'd like to thank the panel for taking time out of their extremely busy schedules to appear before us today. I noted that, in your written statements, all of you appear to be supportive of alternative fueled vehicles, including biodiesel, and hybrid technology. I am the proud owner of a hybrid vehicle and have the privilege to represent the world's first entirely renewable biodiesel facility in Denton, Texas, so I am pleased to hear this. Ma... Read more

One of my most important responsibilities as a Member of Congress is to ensure that my constituents' tax dollars are being spent wisely. It is for that reason that I look forward to the ongoing debate about our national funding priorities. Administrator Johnson, thank you for appearing before us this morning. As we begin the Fiscal Year 2008 appropriations cycle, it will be helpful to hear from you about the President's Budget request for the Environmental Protection Agency. My district is loca... Read more

Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for convening this hearing. I think informative hearings, such as this morning's science hearing, are extremely helpful -- indeed, essential -- to the legislative process. I am glad that we were able to reschedule this hearing, which was canceled due to an ice storm, but remain a bit puzzled why this was not our first hearing. Instead of starting from the beginning, with the science, we started with a discussion of cap-and-trade proposals. So I'm glad that we've finally... Read more

Energy and Air Quality Subcommittee Hearing: “Carbon Capture and Sequestration: An Overview” March 6, 2007 Thank you, Mr. Chairman for convening today's hearing on carbon capture and sequestration. As we've begun to debate the issue of global climate change, there has been a lot of discussion about carbon capture and sequestration and the potential promise that it holds for reducing the amount of carbon in our atmosphere. These discussions, however, have focused on the carbon capture portion of... Read more

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STATEMENT FOR THE RECORD - MICHAEL C. BURGESS ENERGY AND COMMERCE ENERGY AND AIR QUALITY SUBCOMMITTEE HEARING "A Review of the Administration's Energy Proposals for the Transportation Sector" February 28, 2007 Thank you, Mr. Chairman for holding this hearing. I think by now my fellow committee members know that I believe our best bet to decrease consumption of gasoline, at least in the short run, would be to increase the number of hybrid cars on the road. I've owned my Prius now for about 2 yea... Read more

STATEMENT FOR THE RECORD - MICHAEL C. BURGESS ENERGY AND COMMERCE HEARING February 8, 2007 “Department of Energy's Fiscal Year 2008 Budget Proposal” Mr. Chairman, Thank you for convening this hearing today. One of my most important responsibilities as a Member of Congress is to ensure that my constituents' tax dollars are being spent wisely. It is for that reason that I look forward to the ongoing debate about our national funding priorities. Secretary Bodmin, thank you for appearing before us ... Read more

H.R. 927, Biodiesel Tax Credit Sponsor: Representative Michael C. Burgess, M.D. (TX-26) Introduced: February 8, 2007 Status: Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means Why it is needed: Today the U.S. imports nearly 60% of its oil and this number is expected to increase to 75% by 2010. Most of this oil comes from the Middle East and politically unstable nations such as Algeria, Nigeria and Venezuela. Reliance on foreign energy sources undermines our economy and our national security. Home-gr... Read more