Today more than ever before, it is vital that we construct an energy policy that promotes our independence from foreign oil yet preserves the uncompromising environmental standards that our state and our nation have worked so hard to enact. We must balance environmentally conscious energy production with increased efficiency and conservation.

Unfortunately, the Bush administration and congressional Republicans have a record of missed opportunities when it comes to developing new strategies for energy and for gas prices in our country. Instead of implementing forward-thinking energy policies to reduce our reliance on foreign oil and bring down gas prices, this Administration has instead cozied up to corporate interests, giving former lobbyists jobs at the White House and inviting industry insiders to write energy policy. The result: record energy prices for consumers.

Early in the Bush administration, Vice President Cheney convened a secretive task force on energy policy whose meetings are now the subject of a Supreme Court deliberation. (See the Government Reform committee for more information: http://www.house.gov/reform/min/inves_energy/energy_lobbying.htm) The energy legislation that came out of this task force will do little to improve the energy policy of this country, nor will it reduce record high gas prices. Instead, it would give away millions of taxpayer dollars to the energy industry, and harm our health and the environment. Fortunately, this bill has stalled in Congress due to numerous objections over several specific provisions in the bill, one of which would deny victims of MTBE contamination from suing manufacturers in court.

Below is more information on these issues. I also recommend the work of the Ranking Member on the Committee on Government Reform, Representative Waxman, which you can find here: http://www.house.gov/reform/min/inves_energy/energy_bill.htm.

Below is more information.

1. Report -- April 26, 2004
   Smog and Mirrors: The Cheney Energy Task Force and Higher Prices at the Pump

2. Press Release -- March 30, 2004
   Bush's Energy Policy Failures Blamed For Soaring Gas Prices

3. Article from the San Francisco Chronicle -- November 21, 2003
   Fat energy bill seen as laden with pork

4. Article from the New York Times -- November 19, 2003
   Size of Proposed Tax Breaks in Energy Bill Startles Experts

5. Press Release -- November 18, 2003
   Miller Says "NO" to Republican Energy-Industry Wish List

6. A Fact Sheet from the Government Reform Committee on price

7. A Fact Sheet from the Government Reform Committee on the impact to California