WASHINGTON  -  U.S. Representative Jo Ann Emerson (MO-08) today joined a bipartisan majority of her colleagues in the U.S. House of Representatives as she cast her vote for H.R. 6, the Energy Policy Act.  The measure was approved by the margin of 249-183.

 

“The energy bill is vital to every American who uses gasoline, and exceptionally important to farmers in the Eighth Congressional District. Ethanol, soy diesel and biofuels provide a stronger source of income for American corn and soybean farmers while reducing overall petroleum consumption. These and other alternatives to fossil fuels are the centerpiece of this bill for me,” Emerson said. 

 

The energy bill is critical for the American farm economy, as fuel will cost farmers an estimated $8.2 billion in 2005.

 

“Rising gasoline prices affect the cost of every good in our economy.  Not only do we need more refineries, we also need a reliable supply of energy.  Oil exploration in Alaska is a component I support in this legislation.  In recent years we have actually been exporting oil from Alaska to Asia because the costs of transporting it to the lower 48 states are so high.  We need to change this philosophy and restore the fuel transportation infrastructure to keep our supplies stable,” Emerson said.

 

H.R. 6 now moves to the Senate for consideration, where a national energy bill matching its House of Representatives counterpart has not won passage in the four years Congress has been working on this issue.

 

Emerson added, “The instability that lingers in the absence of a national energy policy is frustrating and unfair for ordinary Americans who are at the gas pumps once a week.  If Congress does not get this bill finished soon, there will be meaningful consequences with the voting public.”