Barbara Boxer: “As you can tell from the clerk's reading, it is a very straightforward amendment. What I am offering in this amendment…”

“As you can tell from the clerk's reading, it is a very straightforward amendment. What I am offering in this amendment is to recommend to my colleagues we strike out the liability waiver granted to the makers of ethanol. The purpose is stated very clearly in the beginning. It says: To ensure that ethanol is treated like all other motor vehicle fuels and that taxpayers and local governments do not have to pay for environmental damage caused by ethanol. The amendment before the Senate, to which I have authored this second-degree amendment, brings, once again, to the Senate an ethanol mandate. Some think mandates of ethanol are a good idea. Others think it is a bad idea. I hope we all agree taxpayers and local communities should not have to pay to clean up any mess caused by ethanol. The point of the bill is to force States--whether they want to or not, frankly--to utilize more and more ethanol, not as a crowning blow to the States that did not want to do this, by virtue of the fact there is a safe harbor for ethanol, meaning that no liability can be found for the makers of ethanol, but we are saying to cities, States, and communities, even if you do not want to use it, A, you are forced to use it; and, B, if there is a problem, we, the ethanol makers, will not be there to help you. It will fall to the local communities to pick up the tab. A lot of people say ethanol is totally safe.…”