[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 10507]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



                       CALIFORNIA'S ENERGY CRISIS

  (Mr. KINGSTON asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. KINGSTON. Mr. Speaker, we all just heard a very interesting 
discussion, and I am being very generous with that word, on the energy 
crisis. It seems that there are those who are just content in trying to 
make political hay out of a problem in California during a period of 
time when demand for energy went up 25 percent; yet the supply that was 
allowed through government permit was only allowed to increase 6 
percent.
  Now, who was at the wheel during that period of time? It was 
generally liberal Democratic Governors and legislators who did not want 
nuclear power, even though France has nuclear power and has used it 
safely and efficiently, and about 25 percent of the power in California 
is nuclear. They do not want to use coal, because, well, you know, we 
just cannot use coal, so we do not want that. We do not want to use 
waterpower, because that would keep salmon from swimming upstream and 
spawning, even though there are ladders that would allow them to do 
that.
  Sometimes we have to say yes to something. Energy means hospital 
beds, energy means schools and senior citizens homes. Helping people 
stay warm and stay protected, that is what energy is all about. I wish 
that it would be time for the folks from California to start working 
with the rest of the Nation for a common-sense middle road.

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