Wednesday, June 22, 2005

7:14 Senator Leahy In His Own Words Energy issues are front-page stories again. Prices we pay at the pump are soaring to record levels. The OPEC cartel countries are letting oil prices climb into the stratosphere. Evidence mounts about climate change and the predictable (and previously unpredictable) effects of the mounting accumulation of greenhouse gases in our environment. Meanwhile, carmakers balk at technology improvements to improve the efficiency of our engines.  And for the fourth year in a row, Congress is debating an energy bill that is better than past years but still far from perfect. It’s predicated on more of the same, and loaded down with wrong answers to get there.   Sooner or later, some industrialized nation or nations will discover an untapped emerging new market for clean, technically advanced and renewable energy sources from sources like biomass, fuel cells, hydrogen, wind and solar energy, among others. There is no reason – other than leadership that is stuck in the past – why American inventors and industries cannot be the first to develop and sell energy products for that market.   It is long past the time for walking hand-in-hand with Saudi princes and exchanging kisses with those who are responsible for the artificially high prices that are gouging American working families at the pump. Yesterday, the Senate adopted an amendment I offered with Senators Mike DeWine and Herb Kohl to hold OPEC accountable by subjecting it to anti-trust laws.   Earlier versions of this bill have included provisions to open the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge for drilling. Unfortunately, earlier this year Congress voted to allow this drilling. We in Vermont have a history of finding progressive, innovative solutions to energy challenges in a way that minimizes harm to our natural resources. We value the treasures that are our national parks, wildlife refuges and forests, and we know there are better solutions to our long-term energy needs than plundering these protected places.      Several senators are trying to make this bill better, and I was pleased to support the amendment offered by Senator McCain and Lieberman, which would address the issue of global warming by harnessing market forces to help cut greenhouse gas emissions. We are long overdue in addressing this issue. In Vermont, the maple syrup and ski industries are already being negatively impacted by the changing climate. The amendment lost on Wednesday, June 22, but this is an important beginning of serious debate about global warming, not the end of it. 7:14:09 PM

6:34 Bingaman Amendment Not Tabled Senator Jeff Bingaman offered an amendment which is a Sense of the Senate about greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and which pointed out both that human activity can cause greenhouse gases to accumulate and that accumulation of all greenhouse gases results in the temperature rising.  Senator James Inhofe, Chairman of the Committee on Environment and Public Works, stated that senators are trying to have it both ways by voting against the McCain-Lieberman amendment but for the Bingaman's Sense of the Senate amendment. However, the Bingaman amendment was not tabled with a vote of 43 to 54 versus the McCain-Lieberman amendment which was defeated.  6:34:44 PM

4:41 McCain-Lieberman Amendment Defeated Debate this afternoon focused on the McCain – Lieberman amendment which calls for a program to accelerate the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. A number of senators mentioned that Prime Minister Tony Blair has stated that global warming will be one of the primary focuses for the G8 Summit’s agenda this July. Senator Lieberman clarified that allocations in his amendment are a result of emissions credit based on emission levels from 2000 and then reviewed to see the economic impacts to a specific industry. In the last Congress, Senators John McCain and Joseph Lieberman introduced similar legislation as an independent bill. The Senate ended this debate with a vote of 38 to 60 on this amendment. 4:40:43 PM

11:34 Feinstein Amendment Defeated The Senate voted 52 to 45 on the motion to table Senator Feinstein's amendment on the location of LNG terminals.  This amendment would prohibit the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission from approving a LNG site located onshore or in state waters for the import of natural gas from a foreign country or the export of natural gas to a foreign country without the approval of the governor of the state in which the facility would be located. Senator Feinstein pointed out that there are 34 possible sites for LNG facilities across the United States and that 8 of those sites have already been approved. 11:34:24 AM

9:09 Debate of the Energy Bill Continues The Senate resumes consideration of the Energy Bill when it reconvenes today at 9:30. Debate will begin with Senator Diane Feinstein of California offering an amendment about Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) facilities and will be followed by consideration of Senator Robert C. Byrd's amendment on gas prices. It is expected that votes on these two amendments will be stacked and will occur before mid-day, however that is subject to change. Additional amendments will be debated this afternoon and a cloture vote is scheduled to take place on Thursday. 9:09:50 AM