[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 162 (2016), Part 4]
[Senate]
[Page 4570]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    ENERGY POLICY MODERNIZATION BILL

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, moving forward, the Republican-led 
Senate will have another opportunity to pass bipartisan legislation--
legislation aimed at modernizing America's energy policies. The Energy 
Policy Modernization Act is the result of more than a year's worth of 
work by our Energy and Natural Resources Committee chair Senator 
Murkowski, and ranking member Senator Cantwell. These Senators know it 
has been nearly a decade since the Senate considered major energy 
legislation, so they worked to do something about it. They also know 
that good policy results from good process, as this bill certainly 
demonstrates. It has meant working through countless listening sessions 
and oversight hearings; it has meant working through numerous amendment 
votes and debate hours; it has meant working to move this bipartisan 
Energy bill to final passage.
  The Energy Policy Modernization Act aims to bring our energy policies 
in line with the demands of today and to position us to benefit from 
the energy opportunities of tomorrow. Here is how it can help achieve 
that goal: It expands domestic supply and improves efficiency. It 
addresses aging infrastructure and enhances safeguards. It promotes 
accountability and cuts through needless redtape. This broad, 
bipartisan bill does all these things. It builds on technological 
progress in order to strengthen and sustain America's energy advances. 
It protects our environment at the same time. It does all of this 
without raising taxes or adding a dime to the deficit.
  Here is what that means for our country: It will help Americans save 
energy. It will help Americans produce more energy. It will help 
Americans pay less for energy. And, like the airport security 
legislation I mentioned earlier, the Energy Policy Modernization Act 
will help keep Americans safe. It includes provisions to bolster our 
national security by strengthening our cyber security defense 
mechanisms.
  This legislation will make significant strides for American energy 
policies, and it wouldn't have been possible without the bill managers' 
leadership and dedication. So I want to thank them again for their 
diligence in advancing this critical legislation closer to passage.

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