[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 37 (Tuesday, April 9, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2379-S2380]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       MOVING ON THE ENERGY BILL

  Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, although we have some significant 
issues left to decide, we need to close out electricity, climate 
change, tax provisions, and increasing our domestic production.
  As I stated in my opening statement, because of the manner in which 
this legislation has come before the Senate, we have been forced to 
consider the measure without the benefit of the committee deliberation 
and action that ordinarily would accompany a bill of this nature. We 
have had difficult and divisive issues that should and could have been 
worked out in committee. It is debated here in this Chamber. It is not 
a question of laying blame on one or the other. The point is, we have 
to move on from where we are. This bill can only be resolved by the 
amendment process.
  Recently, we have seen statements that the Republicans were stalling 
this bill because we had not offered an ANWR amendment. It is my 
intention to offer an ANWR amendment this week. I regret that some on 
the other side believe there have been delays. But I believe the 
Feinstein amendment is pending today. Of course, I anticipate that we 
will proceed and there will be an objection to moving off of it for any 
other reason. I have always believed the best way to move important 
legislation is to work through the less controversial issues first and 
then address the more difficult.
  I remind my colleagues that it was the majority leader, not the 
Senator from Alaska, who decided to spend the entire first day of the 
debate on various amendment provisions. We saw those amendments which 
would not necessarily have been resolved with any significant advancing 
of the process. But, nevertheless, I will not belabor the manner in 
which this bill has moved forward. We have seen an extremely difficult 
process on both sides of the aisle in trying to balance a comprehensive 
and bipartisan bill that balances production, efficiencies, alternative 
fuels, and conservation.
  The problems associated again with the movement of the bill probably 
need a little identification as we work through the process.
  There were no committee reports or committee-approved texts for 
anyone to work from. The substitute that was brought about by the 
majority leader was kind of a moving target, and continued to be 
modified even after introduction. Even with that, we still deal with 
moving targets.
  The renewable portfolio amendment offered by the manager on the other 
side changed so many times before introduction that the majority whip 
didn't really know--and I didn't know--whether we were talking about a 
standard of 8 or 10 percent or whatever. That does not form a basis for 
any kind of debate, and seriously complicates the ability of Members to 
draft amendments or know what they are voting on.

[[Page S2380]]

  But I don't want to belabor this because what we are attempting to do 
is move this process along and bring up the other amendments. We are 
certainly not looking to extend the debate on the issue or filibuster 
this bill through unlimited amendments.
  Currently, as I have indicated, there are roughly 150 known potential 
amendments remaining--roughly 100 on the Democratic side and 50 on the 
Republican side. Virtually all of them could and would have been dealt 
with within the committee process. But the staff for both the majority 
and the minority are working to eliminate this list.
  I pledge my support to improve the legislation before us and get a 
bill to the President as soon as possible. I urge my colleagues to 
recognize the weight of this task before us as we push through the 
agenda and do what is right for the Nation.
  I hope that as we start afresh after our Easter recess we can come 
together and recognize the reality that this country is in peril over 
energy, that the continued escalation of prices is going to hit the 
consumer and hit our recovery, the prospects associated with the 
curtailment of imports from Venezuela and Iraq, which constitute 30 
percent of our oil imports, and the results of nearly 2 million barrels 
coming to a halt which we have depended on is going to severely affect 
our economic recovery.
  It has been estimated for every million barrels of oil taken off the 
world market, crude oil prices rise roughly $3 per barrel. Today's 
price is roughly $27. Obviously, we are looking at somewhere between 
$30 and $33 if, indeed, this curtailment continues.
  It is time to recognize that indeed we have some recourse. The 
recourse is to reduce our dependence, and one way to do that is 
obviously to look favorably upon the ANWR amendment.
  I thank the Chair and my colleagues for the time. I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Connecticut.

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