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Mr. KERRY. Mr. President, I am introducing a resolution, which I send to the desk, that addresses one of the most urgent needs of citizens all across the country. That resolution is cosponsored by Senators SCHUMER, HARKIN, KENNEDY, DURBIN, and BOXER.

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   What it does is call on Congress to take immediate action to enact supplemental appropriations that will include funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. This program helps more than 30 million of our fellow citizens in low-income households around the Nation to pay rising energy bills. Every one of these households have fixed and low incomes, and many include children and elderly. More than two-thirds of the households eligible for this assistance have annual incomes of less than $8,000. As energy prices have risen and so have the costs to heat or cool a home, those families face an unacceptable proposition of choosing between their food, medicine, and other basic necessities.

   Unfortunately, this program has literally exhausted its funds in a number of States, and it is nearly exhausted in many others. As a result, thousands of households around the Nation--particularly in areas that may face several more weeks of the severe cold weather--are at risk. As many colleagues know, the price of heating oil, natural gas, kerosene, propane, and electricity has risen significantly over the past year and in some areas sharply enough to cause a deep financial burden on many households.

   It is my hope that President Bush and the Congress can work together to address this situation. I have talked with many of my colleagues. They share my concern, and they, too, have constituents in need. We are only in the middle of February at this point, and already some States have exhausted their LIHEAP support. March and April can be very cold months in New England, New York, and throughout the Midwest.

   This resolution calls on President Bush, who has been a strong advocate for LIHEAP, to work with our leadership to craft and enact legislation that would put $1 billion into the LIHEAP program to help those in need now when they need it. It also calls on Congress to support supplemental appropriations of $152 million in weatherization and $37 million on State energy conservation plan grants. These programs we believe can significantly help reduce energy use and reduce the overall expense of the program.

   There has been a lot of talk of bipartisanship in this Congress. I am reminded that bipartisanship really always counts the most when the national needs blur the lines of ideology and party. These are the times when the Senate has been at its very best. I suggest, respectfully, that with Americans struggling with their heating bills, and all of their bills as a result of their heating bills, and with commonsense relief for so many people directly within our grasp, there should not be an excuse for inaction. There would be every reason to act responsibly and rapidly. I hope my colleagues will join us in doing so.

   I thank the Senator from Alaska for his courtesy, and I thank the Chair.

   Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, let me thank my good friend from Massachusetts for his concern over energy efficiency and conservation assistance to low-income families. I am sure he will be pleased to know that in my remarks today concerning the comprehensive energy bill that will be introduced on the 26th, Monday, when we come back, about noon, we cover under title VI an extensive area of concern not only to the Senator from Massachusetts, but I think the entire eastern corridor and other parts of the United States that are subject to cold winters and dependent on high-cost heating oil.

   I think it is appropriate to also note the study that came out by the CSIS yesterday indicating a reality that some of us hesitate to take seriously, but on the other hand this study has been underway for some 3 years. It simply states the harsh reality that we are going to be dependent on hydrocarbons for the foreseeable future. It was estimated in that study that the increase would go from about 83 to about 90 percent of the energy used in the world would come from hydrocarbons, primarily from the developing countries.

   So the reality that we are likely to suddenly relieve ourselves of our dependence on foreign oil, unfortunately, is probably not a reality. The rationale for that is obvious. We don't have the technology, very frankly, particularly in the areas of transportation, for any other mode. That doesn't suggest we should not continue to fund, if you will, alternative energy, renewable energy and so forth, and continue to try to develop technology, such as hydrogen and various other things. But to suggest that somehow out of this energy crisis we can do it through conservation and efficiency alone is unrealistic. I wish that were the case.

   I encourage all of my friends to take a look at this report, which is done by an objective, unbiased group.

   Let me refer specifically to sections in our draft energy bill, and for the benefit of my friend from Massachusetts, who I see has left the floor, I will start from the beginning rather than what I was prepared to do, which was to comment specifically on the areas associated with the concerns of low-income families and programs on energy efficiency, conservation, and so forth. I will be happy to do that now that I see my friend is back. I think it represents an awareness and an acknowledgment of a situation that simply has to have relief.

   In title VI--energy efficiency and conservation assistance to low-income families--we propose an extension of low-income home energy assistance. That specifically extends authorizations for the low-income home energy assistance programs, or LIHEAP, as it is termed, increasing authorized amounts from $2 billion to $3 billion, and it increases the authorized emergency funds from $600 million to $1 billion annually and extends programs making payments to States.

   The other portion that we think is important is the energy-efficient schools program, which in draft section 602, which establishes a new program within the Department of Energy making grants to local school districts and improving energy efficiency of school buildings, expands the use of renewable energy, and authorizes $200 million in fiscal year 2002, increasing in subsequent fiscal years.

   We have proposed amendments to the weatherization assistance program which expand eligibility and funding authorization for weatherization assistance--providing grants to low-income households to improve residential energy efficiency.

   Then we have a portion that provides amendments to State energy programs. It sets procedures for regular review of existing State energy conservation programs and encourages regional energy conservation and planning.

   It sets State energy efficiency goals of reducing energy use by 25 percent by the year 2010, compared to 1990 usage, and expands and extends authorization for State energy programs of $50 million in fiscal year 2000, increasing in subsequent fiscal years.

   I look forward to our discussion when we come back from our recess on various aspects of our comprehensive bill and the bill that has been introduced by my good friend, Senator Bingaman, today which covers some of the areas in which the Senator from Massachusetts expressed an interest. Certainly, we have the motivation to try to respond because there is more than a need for LIHEAP. There is a need for more generation in this country to meet the crisis that is evidenced in California.

   I am going to proceed with a general outline of the bill at this time.

   Mr. KERRY. Will my colleague yield for 30 seconds?

   Mr. MURKOWSKI. I will yield for a question.

   Mr. KERRY. Let me say to my colleague, I very much welcome what he is suggesting, and this is a debate I will welcome and I know many of my colleagues will because there is a great deal of difficulty for the country in deciding what we do about the dependency as described.

   I say again to my colleague and to my other colleagues, there is a distinction between the authorization that he is requesting, which is in the next budget cycle, and the supplemental appropriations that we are requesting to deal with the crisis now for families who are out of money and States that are out of money.

   Regrettably, what the Senator--and I know the Senator knows the distinction well--is proposing is down the road, whereas we face an immediate crisis in LIHEAP funding at this moment. I think the Senator will agree with me, will he not, that there is that distinction between these bills?

   Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I am not going to get into a debate on

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   A lot of people are working on that. We have to recognize, first of all, that we have an energy crisis in this country. It is not unique to one area. California needs immediate assistance. All one has to do is talk to the California legislators, and the reality is to sit down in a timely manner and address this with some corrective action, which is going to involve a large segment of examination of not only conservation, weatherization, alternative energy, renewable energy, but making sure we go back to our conventional sources of energy--it has to come from somewhere--and use our technology to produce it in a safer manner with less of an environmental footprint.

   As we all know, what we have concentrated pretty much on in the last several years is natural gas at the expense of coal and other things.

   I am going to proceed with my remarks. I thank my friend from Massachusetts for his comments.

   I alert all Members as to what is in this bill because it attempts, first of all, to address the broad interests associated with the crisis as we see it. It goes beyond the energy crisis because it is affecting the economy of this Nation as we see higher prices, shortages, and we see a growing consumer concern, a lack of confidence. A lot of it stems from the energy situation in this country.

   What we are attempting to do, with the efforts of many people, is bring together a comprehensive outline. We will introduce the legislation on Monday the 26th. It will be referred, I believe, under rule XIV to the calendar, and from there it is referred to the two committees of jurisdiction. There is a tax aspect, and I suspect that will move to the Finance Committee on which I serve. The other portion will move to the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, which I chair.

   It is our intention then to begin hearings on this legislation as soon as possible, and other legislation that has been introduced. Senator Byrd has a coal bill. Senator Bingaman has a bill affecting LIHEAP. At the same time, I urge Senator GRASSLEY, the chairman of the Finance Committee, to begin holding hearings, as well, on the tax aspects of this proposed legislation.

   It is important to note the role of the administration. The Vice President has announced the formation of an energy task force. This task force is unique because it attempts to set energy policy for this Nation--what direction should we go. Unlike the previous effort where the Secretary of Energy, the head of the EPA, and the Secretary of the Interior pretty much went their separate ways, he is attempting to bring them together to address how we are going to handle resource development on public land for oil and gas, what role the Department of Energy is going to play in coordinating, if you will, an action that EPA may initiate that could put off the ability to produce more oil and gas--a coordinated effort to make policy.

   We are going to get that from the administration, I imagine, 40 to 50 days from now. That will be incorporated in either a substitute or amendments to this proposed legislation.

   Believe me, the legislation we will introduce is probably not in its entirety the legislation that is going to be adopted. It is going to be massaged, it is going to be cut, it is going to be stricken, it is going to be added to.

   We have to start. It is not going to be a piecemeal effort. It is an attempt to address, across the board, in a responsible manner, the concerns affecting the dilemma in this country as we seek energy policy, as we seek relief and address the economy that is being affected by this.

   The first title covers general provisions to protect energy supply and security. It involves consultation and reports on Federal energy actions affecting domestic energy security and supply.

   Then we have an annual report on U.S. energy independence. The idea is to what extent should we try and maintain a greater degree of independence in this country from the standpoint of our national security.

   It covers the National Strategic Petroleum Reserve and requires a study and report. As my colleagues know, we try to keep a 90-day supply. Today, we have about a 56-day supply, and the merits of having that should our imports be interrupted is paramount.

   We have a study of existing rights-of-way to determine capability to support new pipelines or electric power transmission. It is just not enough to have energy. We have to transport it. Some of our pipelines are old. Some of our transmission facilities are inadequate. We have problems with eminent domain. How do you get there from here? How do you cross public lands?

   We have a section covering the expanded use of Federal facilities to generate hydropower. We have a section requiring a nuclear generation study. Twenty percent of our energy comes from nuclear energy, and we have yet to deal with the nuclear waste issue. We were one vote short of a veto override in this body last year. We still, very frankly, are seeing the nuclear industry strangling on its own waste and our inability to address it with resolve. The French adopted in 1973 a nuclear program and they are almost 90 percent dependent on nuclear energy. They recover the plutonium, reinject it in the reactors, and address the waste in a responsible way. We cannot seem to get over that hump, yet we are 20 percent dependent.

   We have a section on development of a strategy for spent nuclear fuel.

   We have a section to study the status of the domestic refining industry. It is interesting, during a portion of our previous discussion on this topic, when we brought 30 million barrels out of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, suddenly we found out our refineries were at full capacity. We have not built a refinery in 20 years. What a rude awakening.

   We have a section to review the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's annual reports on the availability of domestic energy resources to maintain the electric grid, a study of financing for new technologies, a review of regulations to eliminate barriers to emerging energy technology,

   interagency agreements on environmental review of interstate natural gas pipeline projects, a program for pipeline integrity safety and reliability, and research and development for new natural gas technologies.

   For clean coal technology, we have cost and performance goals. We have technological research and development programs, authorization and appropriations for R&D power plant improvement initiatives, various coal mining research and development provisions, and programs to improve railroad efficiency.

   For oil and gas we have deepwater and frontier royalty relief which has been so beneficial in the Gulf of Mexico where we have seen drilling take place now in 3,000 feet of water. Lease sales are going as deep as 6,000 feet. The technology has been developed rapidly and successfully.

   Some in the media have picked this up and said this is a boondoggle for big oil. There is no alternative minimum tax here. This isn't something for big oil. Big oil can do very well on its own. It does not need assistance. However, the small guys do. The stripper wells do. Some of the independents do.

   So we have a use of royalty in kind to fill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. We have improvements to Federal oil and gas lease management. We have a royalty reinvestment in America provision. On nuclear, we have the Price-Anderson amendments which address the liability on the nuclear plants. We have a nuclear energy research initiative, nuclear energy plant optimization programs, nuclear energy technological development, nuclear energy production incentive, and nuclear energy improvements.

   We have a provision for the Arctic Coastal Plain Security Act Of 2001 which proposes opening up ANWR, which I will discuss in my concluding remarks because that seems to be the lightning rod in the whole bill.

   I mentioned when my friend, Senator Kerry from Massachusetts, was here, the title on energy efficiency conservation assistance to like families. We have covered that. We also have enhancement and extension of authority relating to Federal energy savings, performance contracts, Federal energy efficiency requirements, energy efficiency science initiatives. We also have

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   If we are going to mandate things, the Government ought to lead the way, not the public. Our bill requires Federal agencies to increase the fuel economy of newly acquired Federal fleet passenger cars and light trucks by at least 3 miles per gallon by the year 2005. We are putting government where it ought to be, leading the way.

   We have local government grant programs, extension of special treatment of duel-fuel vehicles under Department of Transportation fuel economy standards. We have renewable energy programs for residential, access to renewable energy resources. We have hydroelectric relicensing reform, which includes processes for consideration of Federal agencies on the condition of licensing of various facilities, including hydro dams,

   coordinating environmental review processes, and a study of small hydro projects. This bill helps ensure electric energy transmission reliability, and repeals PURPA mandatory purchase and sale requirements. We also repeal the Public Utility Holding Company Act, and encourage emission-free control measures under the State implementation plans.

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