[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 15]
[Senate]
[Page 20841]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]



  (At the request of Mr. Reid, the following statement was ordered to 
be printed in the Record.)

                       PASSAGE OF THE ENERGY BILL

 Mr. KERRY. Although I was not present to vote on the Energy 
bill passed last night, I would like the Record to reflect my 
opposition to the bill and the process by which it was passed.
  I voted for the Democratic Energy bill, H.R. 4, last Congress. When 
the same bill came up for a vote last night as S. 14, I was announced 
against it. The reason is that debate on the Energy bill was closed 
down prematurely before consideration of important provisions such as 
renewable portfolio standards, clean air standards, and climate change 
could even take place.
  Furthermore, there is no indication that the Senate and House 
conference committee is going to lead to any type of meaningful 
bipartisan negotiations. In fact, the Republican leadership has already 
boasted they will do little if anything to defend the Senate position. 
Instead, they have announced that intention to rewrite the bill in 
conference. Apparently the Senate process has little meaning in this 
regard. It was just a ticket to a conference committee and a free hand 
in drafting a partisan bill.
  The Nation needs a progressive, forward-looking energy policy that 
strengthens our national energy security, safeguards consumers and 
taxpayers, and protects the environment. Unfortunately, I believe 
passage of this legislation has put us on a fast track towards creation 
of an extreme Energy bill in conference that abandons each and every 
one of those core principles.

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