Wendy Sherman: “the energy bill is a bonanza for big oil. It lets them drill in environmentally sensitive lands, gives them $30 billion…”

“the energy bill is a bonanza for big oil. It lets them drill in environmentally sensitive lands, gives them $30 billion in tax cuts and another $7 billion of rollbacks and royalties. Listen to this. They tell us government should act like private business. Would a private businessperson let an oil company drill on his land without getting a royalty? That is what this bill does. It is a bonanza for big oil. But let us say we like giving the oil companies $37 billion. Should we not at least pay for it? The Committee on Rules has prohibited any amendments to make this bill pay for itself. As a result, all the bonanza for the oil companies comes right out of the Medicare trust fund. Wake up. We have a new economic situation, a new President and there is no surplus except the Medicare surplus. Finally, the Committee on Rules has decided not even to allow California and the Western states a chance on this floor to ask to change our clocks and use daylight saving time in more creative ways. There is nothing in the bill for conservation and everything for the oil companies.”