[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 127 (Thursday, October 12, 2000)]
[House]
[Page H9819]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          OIL PIPELINE SAFETY

  (Mr. INSLEE asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. INSLEE. Mr. Speaker, I would urge the House to see the failure of 
passage of the oil pipeline safety bill the other night, not to be seen 
as an end of our efforts on oil pipeline safety this year but, rather, 
I believe we should look at it as a very strong statement by this House 
that there is a bipartisan sentiment for a strong pipeline safety bill.
  We have the ability this year, particularly with the extension of 
time, to pass a strong pipeline safety bill from this Chamber this 
year. We hope that that bill would have two elements: One, a very 
strong inspection criteria to assure Americans that the pipelines they 
live hundreds of feet from in fact will be inspected, and, number two, 
an assurance that the Office of Pipeline Safety can have supervisory 
authority over the training plans by operators.
  Mr. Speaker, I think it is time for us to reach across the aisle and 
across the Chambers to fashion a consensus bipartisan bill. I believe 
that is possible. I am open to do so. I urge my colleagues to join me 
in pursuit of that strong bill.

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