On the first full legislative day of the 110th Congress, I reintroduced the “Congress Leads by Example through Alternative-Fuel Resources Act� or CLEAR Act. This legislation would prohibit the use of official funds from Members’ Representational Allowances to lease any passenger vehicle which does not use alternative fuels. The CLEAR Act is now H.R. 277 in the House.

It seems hard to sell the American people on the need to abandon their gas guzzlers when they observe Members of Congress driving them. The public would much rather see a sermon than hear one.

I am proud to walk the walk before this legislation is passed. In an effort to bring constituent services to every corner of my district, I lease a “Mobile Office� complete with wheelchair lift. This used shuttle bus has all the constituent services available at my other district offices. Last fall, it was retrofitted to meet the requirements of the CLEAR Act in a unique way: we run the Mobile Office on used cooking grease.

I must admit, I am excited to have the only Congressional vehicle (I am aware of) to run on used cooking grease. We take a normally discarded waste product and turn it into a replacement for foreign oil. To me, it is the ultimate example of the CLEAR Act’s intent. Prior to looking into this subject, I honestly had no idea operating a vehicle on cooking grease was possible. Not only is it possible, the retrofit of the shuttle bus was relatively inexpensive, and it only costs the taxpayers 70 cents a gallon for me to fill up.

Driving on used cooking grease is certainly not a practical alternative for everyone at this time, but these are the sorts of innovative ideas that will break us of our foreign oil addiction.

And, honestly, the humor is not lost. In my hometown known for its ribs and fries, Kansas City, could there be a better way to travel?

I hope that the CLEAR Act encourages other Members of Congress to think of creative ways to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. I guarantee you when Members have to look for E-85 stations, there will be more of them built. And when they experience driving a hybrid, they will begin to think differently about alternative fuels.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, January 10th, 2007 at 9:00 am and is filed under Energy/Environment, Politics .