Political Quotes

“We could have clean and affordable technologies. This bill is moving us in the right direction. That is the way we should go. We have technologies such as mentioned by the Senator from Ohio, the integrated gasification combined cycle that turns coal into gas, allows for the capture of pollution and carbon, and someday will allow us to sequester carbon. This Energy bill is working to make more technology deployable. Senator Hagel's amendment will authorize direct loans. But we could be moving right now to clean up pollution. This spring in the Environment Committee, the Clear Skies legislation, proposed by the President would cut smog-producing nitrogen oxides by 70 percent, acid-rain-causing sulfur dioxides by 70 percent, and mercury by 70 percent. These cuts would have come solely from electric power plants. Ninety percent of the local areas violating EPA air standards would come into compliance with this measure. However, our opponents have held this hostage saying that they do not want to clean up NO<INF>x</INF>, SO<INF>x</INF>, and mercury by 70 percent because they want to chase the ephemeral carbon cause of global warming. Well, it is not proven. Manmade emissions are not proven. But we know we can make progress. I considered attaching the Clear Skies legislation to this bill but, unfortunately, opponents would just use that as another excuse to kill both this bill and Clear Skies.…”