Regrettably, more than 2,400 American military personnel have been killed in Iraq and more than 18,000 troops have been wounded, many of them in ways that will forever change their lives.  As a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, I am committed to increasing funding for the Veterans Administration and to extending additional benefits to our soldiers, veterans, and their families.   

I am a co-sponsor of the G.I. Bill of Rights for the 21st Century, which will strengthen benefits for our men and women in uniform, by providing better education, health care, and job training benefits for those who have answered the call.  This legislation modernizes the current G.I. Bill, which has been in place since 1944 and was enacted to honor and assist our veterans of World War II.

The men and women serving in Irag and Afghanistan are faced with challenging missions, but have heroically answered the call of duty.  Today, we owe them more than just our thanks, we owe them our commitment – a commitment to providing our troops with the tools necessary to succeed and our veterans with the benefits they deserve. 

Memorial Day is a time to remember the brave men and women who have sacrificed for our country.  Without their ultimate sacrifice, we would not be able to enjoy the freedoms and opportunities that we often take for granted in America, and we should all be very grateful for their service.  As we celebrate the Memorial Day holiday, I hope each of you will take a moment to pause and remember all those who have given their lives to make this the great nation that it is today.

“Thank you Mr. Chairman.  I am glad we are holding today’s hearing to discuss vehicle and fuel technologies and what the future holds for American consumers.  As we continue to experience record fuel prices, the demand for alternative fuels, hybrid and flex fuel vehicles, and other energy efficient technologies will continue to increase. 

“I strongly believe the substance of our discussions in this hearing today - will be a significant piece in the puzzle of meeting our future energy needs.  We all recognize that our nation’s transportation sector is the primary contributor to the U.S. consumption of roughly 20 million barrels of oil a day. Reducing the transportation sector’s use of this commodity will require further implementation and advancement of the many technologies that will be discussed today. 

“High fuel prices have certainly increased the awareness and interest in alternative fuels and vehicles.  Even in the state of Arkansas, where pickup trucks far exceed cars, my constituents are talking more and more about hybrid and flex fuel vehicles.  My district spans 21,000 square miles, 29 counties, and 150 towns. It is not uncommon for my constituents to drive 50 miles or more – each way to and from work.  And in most cases they commute these distances for a job that pays well below the national average.  These long commutes and frequent, costly stops at the gas station, are forcing, not only Arkansans, but all Americans to think about alternatives.  As this trend continues, it is increasingly important for industry, government, and the consumers to engage in these issues and work together to advance energy efficient technologies. 

“As members of this Committee, we have received testimony from the Department of Energy’s Energy Information Agency regarding their forecast indicating both fuel prices and demand are going to remain high.  With these record cost projections, it will be cost effective for us to make the necessary investments and aggressively advance alternatives.  

“I have been pleased with the automobile industry and their efforts toward the development of hybrid and flex fuel vehicles.  They have embraced the consumer’s demand for increased energy efficiency and are working to expand the production of their hybrid and flex fuel models.  

“I am also supportive of the provisions in the Energy Policy Act regarding hybrid vehicles.  This legislation, which was passed last August, provides tax credits to consumers who purchase hybrid vehicles.  This has been a successful incentive program and has stimulated hybrid vehicle sales.  However, I believe we can and should do more.  I hope to hear from our witnesses today on ways and ideas to improve this tax credit - allowing more consumers to access these technologies.  I am not 100 percent convinced eliminating the 60,000 unit cap is the answer, but I think it is an option that should be investigated and I look forward to receiving input from the industry representatives here today.  The more consumers who can access the tax credit - the more hybrid vehicles there will be on our highways. 

“I also look forward to hearing from our two panels about the development of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.  I test drove a hydrogen fuel cell car this morning and was impressed.  I understand the challenges facing hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, especially the needed infrastructure to support them– a similar problem facing expanded use of E85.  I do believe hydrogen fuel cell technology will be a significant part of our future hybrid vehicle fleet and look forward to working with industry on its continued development.

“Being from Arkansas, I am extremely excited about the growing potential for biodiesel, ethanol and cellulosic biomass ethanol in this country.  The increased use of ethanol and biodiesel provides new markets for our farm families, reduces our dependence on imported oil, and lowers greenhouse gas emissions.  Efforts are under way in my Congressional District and across the nation on the development of cellulosic ethanol, which is derived from biomass feedstocks such as wood chips, switch grass, and other plant fibers.  We must make the investments to continue the development and expansion of ethanol, including the E85 infrastructure needed to support flex fuel vehicles.

“The reality is this:  the energy bill, which I voted for, authorizes $632 million for the next fiscal year for renewable energy research, development, demonstration, and commercial application activities by the Department of Energy- $213 million of which is for bio-energy purposes -- including $100 million for bio-refinery demonstration projects.  This funding is authorized, but not yet appropriated.  And yet we send $1.9 billion to Iraq every week.  I want to make sure the American people understand that while there is a lot of talk these days about alternative and renewable fuels, over the next fiscal year we are going to spend less than half as much money toward research and development of alternative and renewable energy as we will spend this week alone in Iraq.  It is about priorities, and we as a nation need to re-evaluate our priorities and make the desperately needed investments in alterative and renewable energy.

“Coal-to-Liquid technology and natural gas are also exciting alternative sources of transportation fuels being used and developed.  The public transportation buses here in the District of Columbia are using natural gas technology and have proudly printed on the side of each bus that ‘they are running on clean burning natural gas.’ 

“Our future will have a strong blend of alternative fuels and hybrid vehicles that will hopefully provide a choice to consumers when they go to purchase a car and fill up at the pump.  We must work together toward making these technologies affordable and reasonable for all Americans – and work to build our nation’s infrastructure to support these technologies.  I thank our panel for being here today and look forward to receiving their testimony.” 

Today’s remarks are part of Congressman Ross’s continuing effort to boost domestic oil production and reduce the United States’ dependency on oil by promoting the development of alternative fuel sources.   

The event, hosted by the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation, pits Democrats against Republicans in a friendly competition to determine the straightest shooters on Capitol Hill.  Ross was selected to participate in a special All-Star Shoot Out filmed by the Outdoor Channel’s Shooting Gallery where his team included Rep. Collin Peterson (MN-07), ranking member on the House Committee on Agriculture and Rep. Mike Thompson (CA-01).  The three Democrats competed against the three Republicans and Ross and his democratic team won by one shot.  The episode will air this fall.

Perhaps more importantly, events like the Great Congressional Shoot-Out give members of Congress the opportunity to participate in the shooting sports and learn more about sportsmen’s traditions.  More than 7 million Americans participate in trap, skeet and sporting clays annually.

“Sportsmen have played a critical role in protecting our natural resources and they have a tremendous impact on the nation’s economy,” said Ross.  “By working with the Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus, I serve the sportsmen in my district in ensuring that we always have places and opportunities to hunt and fish.”

“I am a strong believer in the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution that guarantees ‘the right of the people to keep and bear Arms.’  As an avid hunter whose main hobby is shooting sporting clays, I clearly understand that we must protect honest, law-abiding citizens and their right to own and bear arms.”

As a member of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus, Ross works to provide sportsmen a seat at the table when decisions impacting our outdoor traditions are debated in the nation’s capital.  His membership is a willingness to go on record as being an ally for Arkansas’ hunters and anglers in the U.S. Congress.  A strong supporter of this country’s outdoor traditions, Ross works to defeat proposals that would threaten these traditions and promote policy that improves hunting and fishing and the conservation of our fish and wildlife resources.