Representative Jim Gerlach, sponsor of H.R. 4640, the Future Fuels Act, met today with President Bush and other key members of the House of Representatives to discuss legislative proposals aimed at making the United States more energy independent.
Gerlach attended the bipartisan meeting hosted by President Bush at the White House. House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton (R-TX) and House Resources Committee Chairman Richard Pombo (R-CA) were among the 15 Members of Congress invited.
Gerlach said of the meeting, “I was glad to have my work recognized by being invited to participate. I worked for several months to cobble together my own plan on alternative fuels, culminating in the introduction of H.R. 4640 in December. It is good to know that the President and several of my colleagues agree that making the U.S. less dependant on foreign sources of energy is a top priority.”
He added, “We truly need the leadership of the President on this issue. There are many different proposals out there and his call during the State of the Union to end our ‘addiction’ to foreign oil and his leadership will help us to bring a proposal before the House for consideration.”
Gerlach’s bill, H.R. 4640, is currently pending before the Ways and Means Committee, the Energy and Commerce Committee and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee in the House of Representatives.
