America needs to transition to a clean energy economy and southern Minnesota is uniquely positioned to lead the way in this transition. I firmly believe that American ingenuity will allow us to meet our energy needs, create jobs, and end our dependence on foreign oil. By working towards a sustainable and renewable energy economy we can ensure a brighter future for all Americans.

I believe we need a comprehensive strategy to meet our energy needs. That’s why in March 2011, we put the Bipartisan Energy Working Group back together in the House of Representatives and immediately starting working on legislation that would allow us to take control our energy future. And we discovered that when the bickering ended and the tired old slogans were put on the shelf, we were actually able to put together a balanced, reasonable approach to solving our nation's energy crisis.

In May 2011, we introduced a bipartisan energy bill, H.R. 1861, the Infrastructure Jobs and Energy Independence Act. The basic premise of the bill is simple: take the royalties from expanding access to our domestic oil supply and invest them back into America.

Our bipartisan energy bill:

• Invests in clean American energy

• Rebuilds America’s aging locks, dams, bridges and roads

• Creates U.S. jobs – both in the short and long term

• Cleans up the environment

To read the text of this legislation, please click here.

To read a section-by-section summary, please click here.