Passing the energy bill next week is one of House Speaker Dennis Hastert’s priorities, he said at a press conference Saturday.

The draft bill would encourage more oil drilling, coal production and electricity transmission lines as well as doubling ethanol’s share of the fuel market, according to Rueters.

Currently, in Hastert’s 14th Congressional District, one out of five rows of corn goes toward the production of ethanol. If the new bill should pass, that figure will change to four out of five rows.

“Farmers will have better markets,” he said.

More confidence in markets is one of the things needed to help turn around the economic downturn, Hastert said.

Hastert attributed the reasons for the bad market to the economy downturn, the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and the war.

“[Markets] have to be more competitive,” he said. “We need to make sure to do something to make jobs.”

Hastert also commented on the continuing war protests. He said people being able to express this kind of free speech is what makes this country great.

“We had an attack on Sept. 11, 2001,” he said. “We have to react to that.”

He also said the oil money going into rebuilding Iraq should be in terms of grants, because loans aren’t realistic.

The “No Child Left Behind” program also is something Hastert supports.

He said federal funding for education has doubled and it is the state’s responsibility to make sure it’s allocated fairly.

Hastert said America’s students need to be able to do math, know science and be achievers.

“We need to measure accountability [for No Child Left Behind],” Hastert said.

Sen. Elizabeth Dole (R-North Carolina) agreed with Hastert.

“What people need might be different,” she said. “One size doesn’t fit all.”

Hastert also said he was against the attempts to build a casino in Shabbona.

“It’s not the right thing to do at the time,” he said.

The press conference took place before the annual Hastert Mega Event at the Convocation Center. The event raises money for the Hastert campaign. Hastert is on his way to becoming the longest-serving house speaker of this century.