Congressmen John Sullivan (R-OK), Dan Boren (D-OK), John Larson (D-CT) and Kevin Brady (R-TX) have introduced H.R. 1380, the ‘New Alternative Transportation to Give Americans Solutions’ (NAT GAS) Act. This bill will be the legislative vehicle to replace millions of barrels of imported oil with domestic natural gas, especially for fleet vehicles.
The original sponsors – two Republicans and two Democrats – said the bill would “offer limited tax credits and federal regulatory changes to encourage the production and purchase of natural gas vehicles” in the United States. Congressman Sullivan who is the Vice Chair of the House Energy and Power Subcommittee said that “69 percent of the oil consumed in America is used for transportation, two-thirds of which we import from foreign nations.” Congressman Larson, who is the Chair of the Democratic House Caucus, said we have enough domestic natural gas to meet our needs “for the next 100 years.” He also said, “If we start making cars and trucks that run on natural gas, there’s the potential to create over a half a million American jobs.”
Dan Boren and Kevin Brady also commented on the new legislation. Brady said, “Targeting business fleets and cargo trucks that offer the greatest promise, this bill creates a strong five-year window to build, buy and refuel natural gas vehicles here at home.” Boren made a point of the bipartisan nature of the bill saying, “We must move America off OPEC oil and give our citizens some options at the fuel pump. It is supported by some of the most progressive, as well as by some of the most conservative, members of Congress.”
According to the press release, the bill, H.R. 1380, was introduced today with 76 bipartisan original cosponsors in the House and has been endorsed by both President Obama and T. Boone Pickens as part of the nation’s energy solution.
— The Pickens Team