[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 146 (2000), Part 16]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 22811]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                PIPELINE SAFETY IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 2000

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                             HON. JOE SKEEN

                             of new mexico

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, October 10, 2000

  Mr. SKEEN. Mr. Speaker, today I rise to support S. 2438, the Pipeline 
Safety legislation, and also to implore the House of Representatives to 
pass it quickly and send it to the President for his signature.
  In August, in my Congressional District in New Mexico, a pipeline 
explosion took the lives of eleven family members who were camping in 
an area located south of Carlsbad along the Pecos River. This terrible 
tragedy shook our state to the core. I visited the site of this 
disaster and I cannot begin to describe what I saw and the impact it 
has had on the lives of countless citizens in New Mexico.
  This legislation is bipartisan and it passed the U.S. Senate with no 
opposition. This bill will help us avoid these terrible accidents in 
the future. Congress does not have time to play politics with this 
legislation. We don't have time for extended conferences on this 
legislation. Those who feel more is needed in this bill can introduce 
those changes next year. If we don't pass this bill we will have no 
legislation for at least another two years. It is unconscionable for 
this Congress not to pass legislation this year. To those who would 
vote against this legislation I say shame on you. This bill imposes new 
pipeline testing requirements on pipeline operators. It imposes higher 
penalties for safety violations and invests in new technology to 
improve pipeline safety. This bill increases the funding for pipeline 
safety as well as increasing state oversight and local government 
input. President Clinton supports this bill, Senate Democratic Senators 
support this bill.
  I want to thank Chairman Shuster and the leadership of the 
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for all of the hard work 
they have done in bringing this important legislation before us. We 
need to pass S. 2438.

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