“Change is becoming a reality in Washington,” Giffords said. “And so is bipartisanship.”
WASHINGTON DC - U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords capped a busy two weeks in Congress today by voting to repeal subsidies to big oil companies and invest the savings in renewable energy.
“We put our national security at risk by relying on oil from unstable regimes in the Middle East and Latin America,” Giffords told her colleagues in a speech on the House floor during debate on the Clean Energy Act. “Ending America's addiction to foreign oil, investing in renewable energy and achieving "clean" energy independence is the Apollo mission of our generation.”
The act repeals $14 billion in subsidies given to oil companies and establishes a Strategic Renewable Energy Reserve to increase research in clean, renewable energy, develop greater energy efficiency and improve energy conservation.
“This will not only result in a stronger economy and the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs, but also a more stable and sustainable world,” Giffords said.
The act, which passed 264 to 173, was the final piece of legislation in the “100 Hours Agenda,” an ambitious, six-point plan by leaders of the 110th Congress to improve the lives of all Americans, not just a privileged few.
On Wednesday of this week, Giffords joined 355 other members of the House - including 71 Republicans - in backing legislation to cut the interest rates for subsidized college loans in half. The College Student Relief Act will directly impact more than 33,000 Arizona students with subsidized loans at four-year institutions.
“We live in an information-driven world where a college education is more vital than ever,” Giffords commented. “Yet financial barriers will prevent millions of American high school graduates from realizing their full potential and getting the education that they need.”
In addition to these measures, the “100 Hours Agenda” included:
- Implementing the 9/11 Commission Recommendations, which passed 299 to 128 on Jan. 9;
- Increasing the Minimum Wage, which passed 315 to 116 on Jan. 10;
- Expanding Stem Cell Research, which passed 253 to 174 on Jan. 11; and
- Requiring Medicare to Negotiate for Lower Prescription Drug Costs, which passed 255 to 170 on Jan. 12
Before these issues were brought to the floor and only hours after being sworn in as the representative from Southeastern Arizona's 8th Congressional District on Jan. 4, Giffords also joined a majority of her colleagues in overhauling House ethics rules.
“Change is becoming a reality in Washington,” Giffords said. “And so is bipartisanship.”