House Proceeding 05-05-09 on May 5th, 2009 :: 2:25:30 to 2:32:40
Total video length: 5 hours 34 minutes Stream Tools: Stream Overview | Edit Time

Note: MetaVid video transcripts may contain inaccuracies, help us build a more perfect archive

Views:108 Duration: 0:07:10 Discussion

Previous speech:

Next speech:

2:25:26 to 2:25:47( Edit History Discussion )

Judy Biggert: i'd like to now recognize colleague and friend from the great state of illinois, judy biggert. mrs. biggert: i thank the gentleman and i'm delighted to be here with mr. shimkus. mr. speaker, mr. shimkus has done so much on energy for so long in the energy and commerce committee and has brought to the

2:25:30 to 2:32:40( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Judy Biggert

2:25:48 to 2:26:08( Edit History Discussion )

Judy Biggert: forefront so many innovations and ideas in how we can solve our problems but also making sure that we do the right thing and mr. speaker, i do rise today to express my concern about our national energy and environmental future. i'm really worried congress may soon consider the cap and trade

2:26:09 to 2:26:29( Edit History Discussion )

Judy Biggert: legislation an attempt to move america toward a clean energy economy and decrease our reliance on foreign l sources. that sounds good, doesn't it? but the act in its current form will do that, but it will do i cannot support a cap and trade program that will unfairly penalize small business,

2:26:30 to 2:26:51( Edit History Discussion )

Judy Biggert: industry, and taxpayers across the country and a lot of my constituents get this. i'd like to read a short quote from one of my constituents in a letter, the gentleman says, i'm writing to ask you to vote no on any cap and trade bill that comes up for a vote this congressional session.

2:26:52 to 2:27:14( Edit History Discussion )

Judy Biggert: cap and trade is a huge tax hunt. every american who flips on a light switch or uses their car. it would do nothing to affect global climate change but would harm our economy and lead to job losses and higher taxes for all americans. many estimates exist on job

2:27:15 to 2:27:36( Edit History Discussion )

Judy Biggert: losses and rising electricity prices under a cap and trade program. one recent and conservative estimate suggests that illinois would lose 48,000 manufacturing jobs by 20 and see a $1.47 kilowatt increase their utility bill.

2:27:37 to 2:27:58( Edit History Discussion )

Judy Biggert: illinois is 50% relinalt on nuclear power, followed by coal. for this reason, i think that with record unemployment and foreclosures, how can we ask the american people to swallow a huge cost of living increase when they are struggling to live. an apparent trend the recently

2:27:59 to 2:28:20( Edit History Discussion )

Judy Biggert: passed budget resolution slashed yucca mountain funding. this disturbs me. it effectively signaled lack of support for expanded nuclear production and closing the window of opportunity for a waste solution. taxpayers have already pup $16

2:28:21 to 2:28:41( Edit History Discussion )

Judy Biggert: billion in this mountain to take care of waste so this is welcome back to the carter years when the reprocessing plants built in the united states, six of them work shut down before they opened. i think one opened. there's no silver bullet solution for the future of our national energy supply.

2:28:42 to 2:29:04( Edit History Discussion )

Judy Biggert: but we would be irresponsible to incentivize emission reductions without including supply increase solutions and i think that the u.s. can lead in the environmental performance d production with this policy. i don't believe that cap and trade is an appropriate means of doing that we need a combination of technology and increased production of nuclear, renewables, and fossil fuels,

2:29:05 to 2:29:26( Edit History Discussion )

Judy Biggert: each h long-term plan for america's energy and environmental security. i want to just focus for a minute on the nuclear. right now, if we were in our -- as i said, illinois is 50% nuclear. 20% in our country. there are a lot of permits pending out there for increased

2:29:27 to 2:29:49( Edit History Discussion )

Judy Biggert: nuclear plants. but we need reprocessing then to deal with waste. if you thought of nuclear energy as a log and you take -- cut 3% of this side, 3% off of that side of the log and you put that log, the 3% plus 3% into the fireplace and burn it, then take the other part of the log, which

2:29:50 to 2:30:10( Edit History Discussion )

Judy Biggert: is what, 94%, and put that into the ground as waste, that is what we're doing right now. we can really increase the capabilities of nlear and we can reduce the toxicity and reduce the longevity of the radioactivity. so this is a no-brainer.

2:30:11 to 2:30:32( Edit History Discussion )

Judy Biggert: i really can't understand the secretary of energy and the administraon suddenly deciding that we put a hold on the recycling process when we've work sod hard and come so far in the research to be aide ready to do that wiout nuclear proliferation. i think we have to look at

2:30:33 to 2:30:57( Edit History Discussion )

Judy Biggert: doubling the amount of power generated from zero emission nuclear power by 2030 and more importantly we need to begin nuclear fuel recycling and incentivize in term storage to get us there. recycling reduces so much the volume of that.

2:30:58 to 2:31:18( Edit History Discussion )

Judy Biggert: it's clean, and it's safe. utilizing technology to transition to low carbon transportation system is another way we can dramatically decrease petroleum use and reducing emissions. lithium batteries and fuel cell technology like those being developed right in illinois at a rgon national lab in my district

2:31:19 to 2:31:39( Edit History Discussion )

Judy Biggert: will transform both the auto manufacturing sector and help america recapture the domestic battery manufacturing base. i currently serve as the co-chair of the high performance building caucus and each month we hear from a business or associations about the technology service that offers a solution for improving

2:31:40 to 2:32:00( Edit History Discussion )

Judy Biggert: commercial and residential building efficientcism 40% of the emissions in this country come from existing building infrastructure. so refitting -- retrofitting existing buildings or utilizing technology in new building construction can serve a variety of goals. there's so many things we can do we need everything to cut out

2:32:01 to 2:32:22( Edit History Discussion )

Judy Biggert: the emissions, the co-2 and other gases that cause so many problems. illinois is almt exclusively dependent on nuclear power, followed by coal. we cannot afford the price spikes that would follow a cap and trade plan, especially without the increased power production. i hope that leadership on both

2:32:23 to 2:32:40( Edit History Discussion )

Judy Biggert: sides of the aisle will remember to put their constituents first when it comes to considering climate legislation and allow technology and the market pave the way for emissions reductions. i thank the gentleman for lding this special order and i think it's of great benefit we