NEW ENERGY PACKAGE WILL INVEST MILLIONS IN KANSAS BIOFUELS AND REDUCE DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN OIL

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Nancy Boyda (Kansas Second District) today voted for the Energy Independence and Security Act, a sweeping energy reform package that will invest hundreds of millions of dollars in Kansas biofuels and reduce America's dependence on foreign oil.

The bill passed the U.S. House of Representatives on a vote of 235-181.

"For years, nobody in Washington had the guts to stand up to Big Oil, and Kansans pay the price every day at the gas pump," Rep. Boyda said. "This bill says, 'Enough is enough.' It ends taxpayer subsidies to Big Oil to support renewable fuels right here in Kansas. It invests in the Midwest, not the Middle East."

She added, "Renewable energy offers tremendous promise for our state's economy. Kansas has the soil to grow biofuels, the skies to harvest wind energy, and the research base to nurture new technology. Now all we need is a national commitment to energy independence. That's what today's bill is all about. It should be called the 'Kansas Economic Development Energy Package' – that's how important it is to our businesses and communities."

The Energy Independence and Security Act will:

• Create new jobs. The bill invests in renewable energy through tax incentives for solar, wind, biomass, and geothermal technologies, as well as cutting-edge energy research. It also trains workers for three million new jobs in the renewable energy industry over the next 10 years.

• Modernize fuel efficiency standards. The bill increases increase the fuel efficiency of vehicles to an average of 35 miles per gallon by 2020. This represents the first improvement in Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standards in a generation.

• Strengthen America's national security by reducing oil consumption by more than 4 million barrels a day in 2030, both by modernizing CAFE standards and by investing in American-grown biofuels.