steven chu, the secretary of energy. i have the greatest respect and fondness for secretary chu in the full disclosure. i want to say that. i happen to meet him when i was head of lawrence berkeley labs, and his achievements are many, marked, and quite astounding. so we all grant that you are a most brilliant secretary, secretary chu. and we are delighted to have you here. but let me turn to senator alexander for his remarks, if i might. >> thank you, madam chairman. when i was the education secretary and was in your shoes, i didn't get that kind of compliment from the chairman of the committee, so i'm a little gemous. but, you know, i agree with her. i think, dr. chu, you've one of the president's best appointees, you've been a terrific leader, and i'm glad that you're spending this part of your life in this form of public service. i want to -- in my remarks, and then in the questions when my time comes, i want to focus on some of the things that senator feinstein talked about. for me, i would say it would be putting a p

steven chu, the secretary of energy. i have the greatest and -- respect and fondness for secretary chu. and full disclosure i want to say that. i happen to meet him when he was the head of the lawrence berkeley labs and his achievements are many market and some quite astounding. so we all grant that you are a most brilliant secretary, secretary chu and we are delighted to have you here. but let me turn to senator alexander for his remarks if i might. >> thank you madam chairman. when i was the education secretary and was in your shoes i didn't get that kind of complement from the chairman of the committee so i'm a little jealous. [laughter] but i agree with her. i think dr. chu you are one of the president's best appointees and you have been a terrific leader and i am glad that you are spending this part of your life in this form of public service. in my remarks and in the questions when my time comes, i want to focus on some of the things that senator feinstein talked about and for me, i would say if we be putting a pri

secretary steven chu on the screen. as the senate is conducting a procedural vote on a republican drilling bill that is under way. needs 60 votes to advance. you can follow that on c-span2. it can follow this on c-span. >> the ranking member has been detained for a couple of minutes. i just saw him. if you do not 9 we will wait a few minutes and then begin. -- if you don't mind. >> there we go. [gavel] good afternoon, ladies and gentleman, and welcome to the energy and water subcommittee but -- committee hearing on department of energy fiscal year 12 budget request. doe requested $30.5 billion for fiscal year 2012. that is an increase of $4.8 billion or 19% from fiscal year 2011. about $1.1 billion of the $4.8 billion increase or 25% is for the national nuclear security administration's nuclear weapons for nonproliferation and naval reactor programs. this subcommittee has already request nmsa's budget with the administrator two weeks ago. the rest of the increases for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, loa

even secretary steven chu, who's the energy secretary, was quoted that same year as saying, "we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline," he said, "to the levels of europe." gas prices in europe routinely hit $8 a gallon. well, with these sorts of individuals in charge of our energy policy, it's no wonder that prices are way up, up over a dollar from where they were a year ago. this administration's shutting down of drilling in the gulf of mexico is going to drive american oil production down by 20% in 2012. you know, even former president bill clinton called the continuous shutdown ridiculous. and to make matters worse, president obama appears to be more enthusiastic about importing oil from other countries than he is in terms of using our own. you know, brazil has discovered huge reserves of shale oil and the president recently visited brazil. and he said he wants the united states to be brazil's best customer for oil. well, when it comes to oil consumption generally, the president's story continues to change. a few weeks ago, president obama tried to make the case th

steven chu, the secretary of energy. i have the greatest respect and fondness for secretary chu in the full disclosure. i happened to meet him when he was the head of lawrence berkeley lab and his achievements are many and are quite astounding so we all grant that you are the most brilliant secretary, secretary chu, and we are delighted to have you here. but let me turn to senator alexander for his remarks if i might. >> thank you, madam chairman. when i was the education secretary and was in your shoes i didn't get that kind of a compliment from the chairman of the committee so i'm a little jealous but i agree. dr. chu, your one of the president's best appointees, you've been a terrific leader and i am glad that you're spending this part of your life in this form of public service. i want to in my remarks and then questions when my time comes, i want to focus on some of the things senator feinstein talked about, and for me i would say it would be putting the priority on energy research for our country, something i know d

and then here's the best one here. 9 energy secretary of president obama, steven chu, says -- "somehow we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels of europe." we have an administration who wants to increase the price of gas, the price of gasoline at the pumps to be comparable to europe which is between $7.50 and $8 a gallon. and i think that obviously people would know that this is true. it wasn't long ago that president obama gave his energy speech. in his energy speech, he said well, there is all this abundance of -- of clean gas that we can use. and then at the end of the speech, he said but we are -- we have some problems in -- in getting the gas out of the ground. he's talking about natural gas in this case, not about oil. and he says -- and so i happened to give the response at one of the tv stations and i said -- you know, he says he wants natural gas. at the same time, he says he wants to end high drawling fracturing. let me tell you about hydraulic fracturing, madam president. the hydraulic fracturing started in the state of oklahoma, my state in 194

in 2 september, in 2008, steven chu called "the wall street journal" in an interview, quote, somehow we have to figure outthr how to boost the price of gasoline t eo the levels in nowy of he is now the secretaryf energy for the united states of america.hinkingut he needs to be thinking about how to get the cost down andge serve the constituency ofconstii america. has that we ought to be raisingn the cost of energy to the levelf in europe and the environmentaln protection agency in fact ishat enacting new regulation thatt of will also drive up the cost of energy in a way that shouldigh never have happened in my view n and we have had some votes on se that and hopefully we will soon be able to pull back thatfford effort. a study by the affordable powert asncluded epa greenhouse gas g regulations could increase the cost of gasoline by 50%. electricity by 50% and natural gas by 75% of the next 20 years. that is a stunning figure.t' no doubt who will drive it up. so the majority has yet to recognize the impact these tax increases and new epa regulations will have on the t economy.o a but

later in the day, steven chu is on capitol hill to talk about his department's budget priorities for 2012. that is from the senate subcommittee on energy appropriation act to 30 p.m. eastern. that is also live here on c- span. >> history as you know is much more than just politics and soldiers. social issues, it is also medicine and science and art and music and theater and poetry and ideas, and we should not want things into categories. it is all part of the same thing. >> samuel morse,. beecher stowe, thomas edison, henry adams, sunday night on q&a, part one of two weeks with david mccullough on the americans to make a greater germany, to 19th century paris. at 8:00 on c-span. >> next, treasury secretary geithner talks about the need to reduce the federal debt in order to spur long-term economic growth. his remarks at the harvard club in new york were sponsored by the center on the press and public policy part of harvard university. [applause] policy. >> good afternoon. i'm alex jones, johns center on the press, politics, and public paucity. -- a public policy. i welcome you to thi

this is the president's energy secretary steven chu -- quote -- "somehow we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels of europe." unquote. now that's astounding to me. some of those levels are approaching $10 a gallon. quote -- "somehow we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in europe." unquote. the administration is talking out of both sides of its mouth. at the same time that it feigns sympathy for the families hit hardest by rising energy prices, it attempts to impose a radical environmental agenda on an unwilling middle class. at the same time that american families move to the suburbs so they can have room to grow and play, buying minivans and s.u.v.'s to accommodate their growing families, the environmental left is pushing its agenda of urban living, public transportation and, yes, small families. for all of its righteous aiger about high gas prices, it's clear from its policies where the administration stands on this fight. now, as a senator who has worked hard to establish a strong energy foundation for america, i have

in september of 2008, steven chu told "the wall street journal" in an interview, "somehow we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in europe." close quote. dr. chu, who is now the secretary of energy for the united states of america, he needs to be thinking about thousand get the cost down and serve the constituency of america -- about how to get the cost down and serve the constituentive america. i don't know what idea he has that we ought to be raising the cougcost of energy to the leveln yiewmplet and the environmental protection agency in fact is enacting new regulations that will also drive up the cost of energy, in a way that should never have happened, in high view, and we've had some -- in my view, and we've had some votes on that, close votes on that. hopefully we'll soon be ail to pull back that effort. a study by the affordable power alliance concluded that e.p.a.'s greenhouse gas regulations could increase the cost of gasoline by 50%. electricity by 50%, and natural gas by 75% over the next 20 years. that's a stunning figure. as know doubt it

even secretary steven chu, who's the energy secretary, was quoted that same year as saying, "we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline," he said, "to the levels of europe." gas prices in europe routinely hit $8 a gallon. well, with these sorts of individuals in charge of our energy policy, it's no wonder that prices are way up, up over a dollar from where they were a year ago. this administration's shutting down of drilling in the gulf of mexico is going to drive american oil production down by 20% in 2012. you know, even former president bill clinton called the continuous shutdown ridiculous. and to make matters worse, president obama appears to be more enthusiastic about importing oil from other countries than he is in terms of using our own. you know, brazil has discovered huge reserves of shale oil and the president recently visited brazil. and he said he wants the united states to be brazil's best customer for oil. well, when it comes to oil consumption generally, the president's story continues to change. a few weeks ago, president obama tried to make the case th

in september of 2008, steven chu told "the wall street journal" in an interview, "somehow we have tofigure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in europe." close quote. dr. chu, who is now the secretary of energy for the united states of america, he needs to be thinking about thousand get the cost down and serve the constituency of america -- about how to get the cost down and serve the constituentive america. i don't know what idea he has that we ought to be raising the cougcost of energy to the leveln yiewmplet and the environmental protection agency in fact is enacting new regulations that will also drive up the cost of energy, in a way that should never have happened, in high view, and we've had some -- in my view, and we've had some votes on that, close votes on that. hopefully we'll soon be ail to pull back that effort. a study by the affordable power alliance concluded that e.p.a.'s greenhouse gas regulations could increase the cost of gasoline by 50%. electricity by 50%, and natural gas by 75% over the next 20 years. that's a stunning figure. as know doubt it'