[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 10990]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          WE NEED CLEAN ENERGY

  (Mr. TONKO asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. TONKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today after weeks of outcry for action 
to acknowledge that BP has caved to pressure, and to discuss 
yesterday's steps by BP to finally put working families and small 
businesses ahead of shareholders and short-term corporate profits.
  Had BP acted with rigor and integrity from the beginning, we would 
not be forced into having this conversation right now. However, their 
shortsightedness has demanded a swift and aggressive response, which 
the President has provided.
  In the short term, we must stop the oil from continuing to spill and 
subsequently clean up our shores, making BP pay the tab. Our energy 
future is bright; it is filled with diversity, with clean energy and 
American jobs for America's workers. Let us heed the devastating 
message that this disaster sends to us. Let us build the strongest, 
most powerful and most competitive clean energy economy in the world.
  We can and we must rise to this challenge. Our children's future 
depends on it.

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