[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 44 (Thursday, April 18, 2002)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2906-S2907]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            DRILLING IN ANWR

  Mr. NELSON of Florida. Mr. President, I congratulate the Senate for 
the tremendous vote we had today on basically dispensing with the 
attempt to amend the bill of the Senator from New Mexico to drill in 
the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The vote ended up being a lot 
stronger than a lot of people expected. For us just to talk about the 
sensitive environment and the drilling is certainly a very important 
component of the question. But the question is so much more 
comprehensive. It is a question of when is America going to be energy 
reliant, and are we going to ween ourselves from our dependence on 
foreign oil, and how are we going to produce that energy?
  As the chairman of the Energy Committee has reminded us many times, 
the biggest part of our energy consumption is in the transportation 
sector. And if we don't ever address the enormous consumption of energy 
in the cars that we drive, then we will remain dependent on all that 
foreign oil. There is an easy way to do that, and that is to use this 
beneficence of American ingenuity called technology and apply it to the 
problem and increase the miles per gallon in our automobiles and SUVs 
and light trucks, which we can do so well.

  Already we have hybrid vehicles that, because of a computer, go back 
and forth between an electric generation and gasoline generation, and 
you cannot tell the difference as the driver and the passenger, with 
all the creature comforts that we enjoy in our automobiles.
  So I congratulate the Senate and I congratulate the chairman of the 
Energy Committee--who now graciously has offered to take the Chair so 
that I might make these few remarks--for an extraordinary effort. I 
hope that now he is able to proceed with the energy bill and finally 
get it passed out of this body.
  I also want to take a moment to state, with a sober and heavy heart, 
what we are facing in the Middle East. From the standpoint of the 
United States, it is very clear what is in our interest, and that is 
peace in the Middle East, a cessation of firing, a creation of an 
environment where the parties can come together.
  A week and a half ago I was in Damascus, Syria, and met with the new 
young President who took over after his father died, President Assad. 
We said: President Assad, now is the time for leaders outside of the 
Palestinians and the Israelis to emerge in the area and to realize that 
it is in your interest that there be peace in the Middle East.
  We thanked him for his help and his intelligence network with regard 
to

[[Page S2907]]

our efforts in going after the al-Qaida terrorists.
  We said: President Assad, you have to go after the groups, such as 
Hezbollah, that you are offering facilities to, which are also 
fostering terrorism.
  Of course, he rejected that. His point of view was that they were 
freedom fighters. There is a lot of politics in it.
  It will take leaders such as Assad and the leader of Lebanon, with 
whom I met yesterday, the Prime Minister of Lebanon, Rafiq Hariri, to 
emerge as leaders in the Arab world and say: We have to change the old 
ways; we have to do it differently, and violence and killing is not in 
our interest.
  Those Arab leaders are going to have to say vigorously to their 
colleagues that it is in their interest that they create an environment 
where they can solve this violent situation in the Middle East and 
bring the Palestinians and Israelis together. As the Good Book says, 
``Come let us reason together.''
  I am very grateful that the Senator took the Chair so I could come to 
my desk and make these remarks.
  I yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. CORZINE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Nelson of Florida). Without objection, it 
is so ordered.
  The Senator from Nevada.
  Mr. REID. Mr. President, we are waiting, as I have indicated, for 
Senator Murkowski. As I indicated an hour or so ago, he had to go to a 
funeral in Arlington. We are going to hopefully agree on bringing up an 
amendment he has dealing with Iraq. That will probably take about 45 
minutes, and then we will move to the border security matter. So those 
Senators wishing to speak in morning business, the time may be limited 
today.
  We certainly have time for Senator Corzine to speak for up to 10 
minutes. I ask unanimous consent that Senator Corzine be allowed to 
speak for up to 10 minutes as in morning business.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator from New Jersey.

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