Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs, today spoke on the Senate floor on the state of our nation’s infrastructure and the importance of long-term investment in our roads, bridges, mass transit, drinking water, and wastewater removal systems.  Dodd’s speech comes on the eve of the one-year anniversary of the tragic I-35 bridge collapse in Minneapolis. Tomorrow also marks one year since Dodd introduced the National Infrastructure Bank Act along with Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE).  Dodd has held two hearings on the legislation, which has 12 co-sponsors.

This morning, Christopher Dodd (D-CT), Senators Russ Feingold (D-WI), and Robert Menendez (D-NJ) discussed their legislation that would push oil companies to use the 68 million acres of federal land already leased to them or otherwise relinquish it. Republicans are calling for coastline drilling that would not produce a drop of oil until 2017 and would not lower gas prices ever. On the other hand, Democrats are supporting proposals to help lower gas prices today by cracking down on speculation in the oil markets, proposals to increase domestic production by pushing the oil companies to use these 68 million acres and proposals to develop renewable energy and advanced alternative fuels for the long term.

U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) and Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.) and John Kerry (D-Mass.) today introduced legislation that would stipulate that if the price of home heating oil was over $4 per gallon this winter that the Home Heating Oil Reserve would be released on a staggered schedule throughout the winter. 

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) today made the following statement in response to President Bush’s remarks to urging Congress to lift the ban on offshore drilling.

“For the President to call for new drilling on new and fragile lands when oil companies already do not use more than 75 percent of the acreage they currently have under lease is ludicrous. The time has come for Congress to tell these companies they can either ‘use it or lose it’ when it comes to their current leases. I call on my colleagues in the Senate, and indeed all Americans, to reject the President’s misleading statements.” 

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT), with Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Bob Menendez (D-NJ), last week introduced legislation that will help lower gas prices by compelling big oil companies to begin utilizing the 68 million acres that they lease but thus far have not used to produce energy.  Representatives Edward Markey, Maurice Hinchey, Rahm Emanuel, and Nick Rahall announced companion legislation in the House of Representatives earlier this past week.     

Members of the Connecticut Congressional Delegation praised today’s decision from New York Governor David Paterson to reject the proposed construction of the Broadwater Liquefied Natural Gas Floating Storage and Regasification Unit on Long Island Sound.  The project was approved by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission last month despite vehement objections from Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Joe Lieberman (ID-CT), Representatives John Larson (D-CT1), Joe Courtney (D-CT2), Rosa DeLauro (D-CT3), Chris Shays (R-CT4), and Chris Murphy (D-CT5), along with other members of Congress and numerous environmental groups. 

As a Senate subcommittee drafts cap-and-trade legislation to address the climate change crisis, a group of their Senate colleagues from outside of the Environment and Public Works Committee are urging that the legislation include a number of provisions to help ensure that the goal of significant emissions reductions is achieved (http://menendez.senate.gov/pdf/100207lettertoSenatorsonglobalwarming.pdf). Senator Bob Menendez (D-NJ), along with Sens. Jack Reed (D-RI), John Kerry (D-MA), Russell Feingold (D-WI), Christopher Dodd (D-CT) and Richard Durbin (D-IL) have written to Sens. Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) and John Warner (R-VA), the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Environment and Public Works Subcommittee that is working on the bill, to outline their hopes for stringent emissions reduction goals and an emphasis on energy efficiency and the use of renewable energy.

More than $7 million will help Connecticut’s most vulnerable citizens

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) today announced that he was pleased Connecticut will receive more than $7 million in energy assistance to help eligible low income homeowners and renters meet their home energy costs. The grants were announced today by Secretary of Health and Human Services Mike Leavitt.

“Strengthening America’s energy security by reducing our dependence on foreign oil and addressing the threat of global climate change will require transforming our transportation sector.  Promoting a new generation of fuel-efficient vehicles is critical to this effort.  Toward that end, I wrote last week to Chairman Baucus requesting that the Senate Finance Committee extend the alternative motor vehicle tax credits.  That is why I am pleased that the Finance Committee acted today to support additional tax credits for fuel-efficient alternative motor vehicles and plug-in hybrids.  I commend Chairman Baucus and the other members of the Committee for recognizing the importance of encouraging manufacturers to continue investing in innovative technologies, and for enabling Americans to make cleaner, greener choices that advance our nation’s economic, energy, and environmental interests.  I am hopeful these important alternative vehicle tax incentives will be retained throughout the legislative process, and ultimately enacted into law.  I will continue to press to ensure that result.”

Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) sent a letter today to Senators Max Baucus (D-MT) and Charles Grassley (R-IA), the Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Finance Committee, urging the Committee to include an extension of the alternative motor vehicle tax credits when the Committee marks up the energy tax bill that the Senate is expected to consider next week.  The tax credits will provide an incentive to consumers who purchase fuel cell, advanced lean burn, hybrid, or alternative fuel vehicles. Senator Dodd has been an outspoken advocate for higher fuel economy and reduction of the use of foreign oil.