Congress must enact comprehensive legislation to protect our nation from the serious economic and strategic risks associated with our reliance on foreign oil. Policies advancing energy and climate security must promote economic recovery efforts, accelerate job creation and drive clean energy manufacturing.
America’s reliance on oil poses a threat to our national and economic security. Too often, our economy struggles with the rise and fall in the price of oil. We must commit to an economic future that is independent of the risk and unpredictability of oil markets. We must invest in clean energy sources that curb our dependence on fossil fuels and make America energy independent.
I am an original co-sponsor of H.R. 1881, the Community College Energy Training Act. This important legislation aims to help reduce our oil dependence by putting more people to work in green energy jobs focused on wind, solar, and biomass energy. The bill supports community job training programs by establishing a federal grant program through the Department of Energy and the Department of Labor. These grants will help create jobs and expand the green energy market. Creating green jobs in the First Congressional District of North Carolina is a goal that I have pursued for the many years I have served in my time in Congress, and one I am proud to support through my co-sponsorship of bills like the Community College Energy Training Act.
It is critical that Congress take a comprehensive approach to America’s energy policy that will create millions of new clean energy jobs, save consumers hundreds of billions of dollars in energy costs, enhance America’s energy independence, and cut pollution.
