opening statement

I have a sincere and deep interest in this issue and that in 10 days, Senator Corker and I will be in Darfur.

Has the U.N. made specific requirements of the Sudanese Government with regard to the protection of these NGOs?

Nuclear in the mix, I'll guarantee you that.

It's got to be a high priority for him.

I think that it is almost necessary to see a single proposal come forward combining energy and environment.

Our decision about energy will test the character of the American people and the ability of the President and Congress to govern this Nation.

Why have we not been able to get together as a nation and resolve our serious energy problem?

I pointed out to the Soviet Union, in a speech, that we would use every resource at our command, not excluding nuclear weapons, to protect America's security.

We ought not to abandon great improvements in order to seek for perfection, which might cost five or six times as much to build a plant.

We've had enough, and our dependence upon foreign oil has really got to stop, and we are not inclined to use our military trying to protect people who are trying to hurt us.

I think it would also minimize the adverse influence of special interest groups who don't want to see the present circumstances changed.

Senators Kerry and McCain recently have sponsored the increased mandatory efficiency of automobiles.

I would hope that we would take the leadership role in accurately describing the problem, not exaggerating it, and tying it in with the conservation of energy.

I think there would be two basic elements of it. One is an omnibus proposal that could be addressed collectively by the Congress.

In fact, all the way through at least the George H.W. Bush administration, we were in the forefront of evolving the Kyoto Accords.

Our rural citizens are certainly not exempt from economic and financial hardships.

It is unfortunate we did not build more nuclear plants 20 years ago because it has turned out to be the most efficient, cleanest way we can produce it.