Introduces bill that would require county of origin labeling at gas stations
Washington, DC - June 1, 2011 - Today, Congressman Bruce Braley (IA-01) introduced a bill that would require "country of origin labeling" (COOL) at gas pumps. The COOL for Fuels bill would let American consumers see where their gasoline is coming from and would help create more jobs by encouraging consumption of American-made fuels and alternatives.
"Most Americans fill up their cars with gas a few times a week, but they have no idea where that gas is coming from," said Rep. Braley. "This bill would give American consumers more information at the pump and the choice to vote with their wallets. By showing people exactly where their gas is coming from, we can lower costs, increase demand for American-made fuel and create more jobs in this country instead of overseas."
The COOL for Fuels bill will require the Department of Energy to conduct a study and implement its recommendations to ensure American consumers have the ability to decide at the gas pump whether they want to purchase domestic fuels, such as biofuels produced in Iowa, or gasoline produced in foreign, hostile nations.
Earlier today, General Wesley Clark joined Rep. Braley on a press call to express his support for the legislation.
"Our addiction to foreign oil is one of, if not the greatest, immediate and long-term threats to America's national security," said General Clark. "And without incremental steps toward breaking our addiction to foreign oil, we'll not only be pumping billions of dollars to foreign nations that are known to sponsor terrorism, but also taking a huge step away from building a strong and sustainable green economy. Americans need to know what this addiction is costing us in real terms, and Congressman Braley's country-of-origin labeling legislation is a commonsense way to get that message across."
Currently, 11 percent of America's oil imports come from Saudi Arabia, 10 percent from Nigeria and another 10 percent from Venezuela. By giving Americans a chance to see where their gas comes from and support homegrown products, the COOL for Fuels bill will help create jobs in Iowa and across the country. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that for every one billion gallons of ethanol produced, 10,000 to 20,000 jobs will be created.
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