Senate Proceeding on Jul 25th, 2008 :: 2:24:23 to 2:35:11
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2:18:57 to 2:24:23( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Richard Durbin

2:24:09 to 2:24:23( Edit History Discussion )

Richard Durbin: start the economic turnaround that country really needs. mr. presiden t, i yield the floor. a senator: mr. president? the presiding officer: the senator from minnesota. mr. coleman: thank you. mr. president,

2:24:23 to 2:24:36( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: i join with the assistant democratic leader in de looking forward to passage of the housing bill. americans are caught in what appears like a perfect storm. the subprime mortgages stimulates, causes

2:24:23 to 2:35:11( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Norm Coleman

2:24:36 to 2:24:49( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: a collapse in that area, it then impacts all other housing. your housing is impacted by what happens to your neighbor's. people lose value over their homes, lose equity, can't reinvest, can't, you

2:24:49 to 2:25:06( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: know, fix the floor. we see jobs impacted. it's a problem. and i look forward to dealing with that tomorrow. i'm pleased that we've come together in a bipartisan way to address this very, very critical

2:25:06 to 2:25:15( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: problem. the other side of that coin, of this perfect storm is the issue of energy. the gas crisis, $4-a-gallon gas, oil, a barrel of oil, $130, $135, $140. who knows where it ends? i come to the

2:25:15 to 2:25:27( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: floor today to discuss an energy amendment i entered yesterday with the support of 24 other senators, including the distinguished ranking member of the energy and natural resources committee, senator domenici.

2:25:27 to 2:25:43( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: before i begin my remarks, mr. president, i would like to make a parliamentary inquiry. mr. president, i filed an amendment to s. 3268, the energy speculation bill. when the senate resumes consideration

2:25:43 to 2:25:54( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: of that bill, which i presume we'll go to after we deal with the housing bill, would it be in order for me to offer that amendment? [inaudible] mr. coleman: so if anyone on the other side objects,

2:25:54 to 2:26:05( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: then die not have the opportunity to move forward with that amendment; is that correct, mr. president? the presiding officer: if any senator objects. mr. coleman: mr. president, what we're deali with here

2:26:05 to 2:26:19( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: is, for those who've watched the senate, a procedure, as the majority leader has used, called filling the tree. it's a tactic where the democratic leaderrings a bill to the senate, fills the tree so no

2:26:19 to 2:26:30( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: amendments can be offered without his consent and then files cloture on the bill which stops debate. the end result, a process that is designed to fail and prevents a process that prevents any other

2:26:30 to 2:26:43( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: senator from offering amendments. i -- i would note, mr. president mr. president, the number of times that the amendment tree has been filled by the current, present majority, i think it's been 14 in

2:26:43 to 2:26:56( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: this 110th congss, that's more than the total number of times that procedure was used by the leaders in the 107th congress, 108th congress, 109th congress. and here we -- we stand in the united states senate

2:26:56 to 2:27:07( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: when our constituents are -- are kind of raising their voices, when -- when they are expressing their frustration, "do something," of an issue -- and it is the issue of the day. we worry about the high

2:27:07 to 2:27:18( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: cost of footed. you're worried about the high cost of food. my farmers have input costs from energy that are driving it up. we're taking more money out of our pocket now to pay for gas. i tell folks almost

2:27:18 to 2:27:31( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: not so jokingly, when you go to the gas station today, you put the pump in your tank, you worry what's going to get filled up first: the tank or your credit limit. and so what we have here is -- is

2:27:31 to 2:27:43( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: -- this is the bill, the energy speculation bill. this is what we're allowed to -- to debate and discuss when it comes to answering it is most urgent -- answering the most urgent crisis facing america.

2:27:43 to 2:27:52( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: this is the united states senate. supposed to be the greatest deliberative body in the world. and it's -- this is not the way you deal with -- with the energy crisis. you don't set up a procedural process

2:27:52 to 2:28:03( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: that's designed to fail. and i'm going to talk a little further, mr. president. i want to address speculation. we've got to do all of it, though. and in minnesota, we play hockey hockey, it's a way

2:28:03 to 2:28:13( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: of life for many, and there's no question we have plenty of ice to play it on. and everyone knows that hockey isn't exactly a no-contact sport. and the same way it's reasonable to expect there be differences

2:28:13 to 2:28:24( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: of opinion, lively debate among senators when an important bill is considered on the floor. but when the majority leader -- what the majority leader has done with the process on this energy bill

2:28:24 to 2:28:37( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: is akin to a hockey team throwing their gloves on the ice before the puck is even dropped. this isn't about solving a problem. this no-amendment process is set up to deliver a political fight, and

2:28:37 to 2:28:50( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: that is not in the best interest of the american people. it's the last thing that americans want and need. mr. president, my minnesotans are smart. americans are smart. they get it. they know we need to

2:28:50 to 2:29:02( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: use every resource at our disposal to deal with this energy crisis, and they also know politicking when they see it. i don't think either party wins if we go home for august without passage of a strong

2:29:02 to 2:29:11( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: energyill. not this. not this. designed to fail, addressing one narrow aspect of a -- an aspect. i want to address it. but there's so much more that has to be done. i agree that speculation is an

2:29:11 to 2:29:23( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: important issue. i've been looking into this matter, working as ranking member on the permanent subcommittee on investigation. i was chairman before that, both chairman and ranking member, since

2:29:23 to 2:29:36( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: 2008. so we've been looking at this. but speculation can't be dealt with substantively by -- without changing -- you've got to change the current supply-and-demand dynamic. bottom line, we need to produce,

2:29:36 to 2:29:48( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: we need to find more and we need consume less. you know, speculation in part is based on a belief there's going to be scarity in the future. so if you change the dynamic, if you tell folks no, no,

2:29:48 to 2:29:58( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: there's not going to be scarcity because we're going to tap into american resources, we're going to do what has to be done to break that dependence on foreign oil, to -- to do what we have to tap

2:29:58 to 2:30:08( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: into our resources in a safe way, in an environmentally safe way. if do you that, we change the dynamic. we had testimony before our subcommittee and one of the witnesses says if we did it -- and he

2:30:08 to 2:30:18( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: was talking mostly, by the way, about renewables, conservation. add production, put it all together, talk about the price of gas, it will drop like a rock. i can't guarantee that but i can tell

2:30:18 to 2:30:30( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: you if you believe, if you're concerned about speculation, then one of the things you want to do is tell the speculators who are betting on scarcity that there's not going to be scarcity in the

2:30:30 to 2:30:42( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: future because we're tapping in to american resources. and we have those resources to tap into. and that's what the -- the -- the coleman-domenici amendment would do. we would untie america' hands as we try to deal

2:30:42 to 2:30:57( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: with this energy crisis by allowing states to explore for deepwater oil and natural gas that is 50 miles or more off the nation's east and as west coast. and that amendment would also focus the conservation

2:30:57 to 2:31:11( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: side. you've got to do both. it would pave the way for plug-in hybrid vehicles by making battery p broduction more efficient and more affordable. currently, 85% of the lower 48 states, the outer continental

2:31:11 to 2:31:22( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: shelf acreage is off-limits. that's what -- 85% of the o.c.s., the outer continental shelf, is off-limits right now in the lower 48. 4 undiscovered o.c.s., outer continental shelf, reserve are estimated

2:31:22 to 2:31:35( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: to be as large as 86 billion barrels of oil and 420 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. producing just one million barrels per day from the o.c.s. would increase domestic oil production by nearly

2:31:35 to 2:31:47( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: 20% for 40 years. mr. president, i -- i live in a state that's really cold in the winter and that winter starts early. you're going to see the price of natural gas start spiking september and october.

2:31:47 to 2:31:57( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: my farme are only impacted because natural gas is important for the production of fertilizer. they're having trouble getting price -- not just next year, some are having problems getting price quotes

2:31:57 to 2:32:07( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: for the near future. if you tell that -- tell the world that we're tapping into this resource that is there, regardless of when it comes on, you're going to change the dynamic today. and on the demand

2:32:07 to 2:32:18( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: side, widespread use of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles will reduce our dependence on foreign oil, greenhouse gas emissions and the costs associated with driving. in fact, we could reduce petroleum

2:32:18 to 2:32:32( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: consumption by 3 million to 4 million barrels per day by mid-century and cut the cost of driving by 75%. mr. president, this amendment isn't the silver bullet to our energy crisis. in fact, there are

2:32:32 to 2:32:42( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: a lot of other areas we need to look to: coal-to-lick wirksdz oil shale, ethanol, expand nuclear production now, wind energy, expand that now. we had boone pickens come into our caucus, spoke to my

2:32:42 to 2:32:55( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: colleagues on the other side, doosd it all, do wind, do nuclear, do outer continental shelf exploration, do oils, do it all. i think there's a better way to address the speculation issue than what

2:32:55 to 2:33:08( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: has been done in the underlying bill. unfortunately, the senate has been handed a take-it-or-leave-it process a speculation bill which doesn't cover production and doesn't cover conservation.|

2:33:08 to 2:33:19( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: mr. president, i believe we abandon the type of taket or leave it process, to allow consideration of a whole range of bills that we've seen with this process of filling the tree, and look to the bipartisan

2:33:19 to 2:33:33( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: template that was so effective during the farm bill debate. we have a chance to pass an energy bill. that's the twhai the senate works. there are senators on both sides of the aisle that want to do this.

2:33:33 to 2:33:46( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: they're listening to their constituents. they understand. i want to go back to the farm bill. last november it looked like the farm bill was dead. there was disagreement about amendments, there were

2:33:46 to 2:33:58( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: 285 amendments to the farm bill and the stalemate lasted over weeks, but at the end of the day the majority leader, minority leader agreed to 20 amendments on each side, voting began on november 11 and the

2:33:58 to 2:34:12( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: farm bill was passed by 79 votes on december 19. in four days the senate was able to breeze through an incredibly complex reauthorization bill. the senators didn't need a vote on 285 amendments, but they

2:34:12 to 2:34:23( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: did need enough votes to shine that the senate could fully consider the measure and do the job. and the farm bill debate not only approved the reasonable accommodations of a process can be found on an important

2:34:23 to 2:34:33( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: issue, but found the bipartisan to allow this body to serve the american people. the farm bill couldn't have passed without senators from both sides coming together for the greater good of the nation.

2:34:33 to 2:34:45( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: mr. president, the american people are in desperate need of good energy policy. we don't need to vote on every amendment that has been filed. there is no reason we can't start out on seven amendments

2:34:45 to 2:34:59( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: on each side. time shouldn't be a problem. it took four days, maybe this could be shorter. but we need to do it. we need to move forward. americans are demanding it. i will be the first to sign up. i want

2:34:59 to 2:35:11( Edit History Discussion )

Norm Coleman: to work with the presiding officer, i want to work woars. we need to find -- withthers. need to more more, use less, let's find something for the production, conservation, do it all. i yield the floor.

2:35:11 to 2:35:25( Edit History Discussion )

Pete Domenici: the presiding officer: the senator from new mexico. mr. domenici: i under istand that i'm entitled to speak now or how long? the presiding officer: up to 10 minutes. mr. domenici: before you leave the floor,

2:35:11 to 2:36:33( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Pete Domenici