Dianne Feinstein: “I believe the ethanol amendment will be taken up. There is an overarching possibility in this energy bill. It can…”

“I believe the ethanol amendment will be taken up. There is an overarching possibility in this energy bill. It can provide the opportunity to properly fix the badly broken energy market, to reduce our consumption of oil, and to increase energy production while protecting our environment and addressing climate change. But at this point, the Energy Policy Act of 2003 is missing much of what is needed for a balanced, comprehensive energy policy for this Nation. I voted against the bill in the Energy Committee because of what is missing. I look forward to the opportunity to amend this legislation. First, I believe the bill needs stronger consumer protection to fix our broken energy market and to prevent another energy crisis like the one we experienced in the West. Second, we must increase the fuel efficiency of our vehicles to reduce the amount of oil we consume, to lessen the amount of carbon dioxide, the No. 1 greenhouse gas released into our atmosphere, and to save families and businesses money at the pump. Third, we must increase our energy production while protecting our environment.”