Barton Outlines Ambitious Hearing Schedule As Energy Legislation Is Prepared for Action Panel hosts Energy Secretary Bodman WASHINGTON - The House Energy and Commerce Committee is taking up energy legislation basically identical to last year’s comprehensive bill, Chairman Joe Barton said today at a hearing called to give the new secretary of Energy, Sam Bodman, his broadest exposure to Congress since his confirmation a week earlier. “After today’s hearing, we will hold three more -- one tomorrow and two next week,” said Barton, R-Texas. “After the recess, we will have an opportunity to survey the situation and decide where we go. I want to make clear, though, that I have not ruled out a full committee markup on a comprehensive bill. “We also have asked the secretary to provide us with his thoughts and comments on the Energy Policy Act of 2005,” the chairman added. “This legislation is essentially the conference report for H.R. 6 from the last Congress, which passed the House with bipartisan support and was within two votes of being passed by the Senate, with date changes and spending limits. “An energy bill has been a long time coming. In a world of growing global energy demand and global instability, we must take control of the fundamentals of our future. Secure and reliable energy means more jobs, economic security, and national security for ourselves and our children.” This year’s legislation comes on the heels of four years’ work on energy legislation by the House and its committees. A total of 179 hours of floor debate and markup debate have been devoted to developing and passing energy policy since the effort was begun in 2001. There were 80 hearings, 12 markup sessions, and a total of 279 amendments were considered. Also, House-Senate conference committees met for a total of 72 hours. A comprehensive energy bill has passed the House four times, most recently in the summer of 2004. Committee members raised a diverse set of issues with the secretary, including these: U.S. Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., expressed support for a comprehensive energy bill, but also focused on security at the Energy Department’s nuclear weapons research function. “Nothing scares me more than the possible transfer of our nuclear secrets to those who might use them in an evil way,” Upton told Secretary Bodman “Your work and the message that you will clamp down on security at our nuclear labs is probably the most important thing you will accomplish as secretary. Energy Subcommittee Chairman Ralph Hall, R-Texas, said that as the President said last week, "'four years of debate is enough.' I favor a practical policy of putting first things first. Our nation and our way of life have been built on a foundation of affordable and reliable energy. From this foundation comes national and economic security, jobs, personal freedom, and comfort. I look forward to working with you to bring comprehensive energy legislation to the people of this country." ####