[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 111 (Thursday, August 2, 2001)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1509]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


              REMOVAL OF SIGNATURE FROM DISCHARGE PETITION

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. DENNIS MOORE

                               of kansas

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, August 1, 2001

  Mr. MOORE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to request that my signature be 
removed from discharge petition number 0002. This petition moves to 
discharge the Committee on Rules from the consideration of H. Res. 165, 
a resolution providing for the consideration of the bill H.R. 1468.
  Mr. Speaker, I am pleased by the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission's (FERC) recent action to expand price restrictions imposed 
in California on wholesale electricity to cover 10 other Western 
states. Though FERC could have exercised its statutory authority to set 
``just and reasonable'' wholesale rates several months ago, I hope that 
the Commission's June 19 Order will soon achieve the intended goal of 
``correct[ing] dysfunctions in the wholesale power markets operated by 
the Independent System Operator [ISO] and California Power Exchange 
[PX].''
  In response to FERC's June 19 Order, Senator Dianne Feinstein [D-CA] 
and Gordon Smith [R-OR] stopped advocating consideration of their 
legislation [S. 764] that would force FERC to follow its statutory 
mandate to set ``just and reasonable'' wholesale power rates. I agree 
with Senator Smith that FERC's action renders S. 764 ``substantially 
moot.''
  In light of FERC's recent actions and the decision by Senators 
Feinstein and Smith not to push for consideration of their legislation, 
I believe that House action on this matter is no longer warranted at 
this time. The House needs to exercise patience and wait for a period 
of perhaps a few months to see if FERC's June 19 Order exerts downward 
pressure on wholesale prices.

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