On the recordSeptember 14, 2012
My Republican colleagues, you know full well that this bill would never become law. It would die before it even gets to the front door of the Senate. Yet here we are in front of the cameras hoping to score more political points before we head into this fall election. As the ranking member of the Energy and Power Subcommittee, which is where this horrendous excuse for legislation originated, I must confess, unfortunately, that the subcommittee and the Energy and Commerce Committee as a whole have certainly contributed to the do- nothing, accomplished-nothing label for this 112th Congress. With over 30 hearings and over a dozen subcommittee and full committee hearings on bills that have originated from the Energy and Power Subcommittee, Congress has enacted one piece of legislation. We've had 30 hearings and one piece of legislation, and that is part of our record. While this would be a sad and pitiful record at any time, it is even more egregious when you look at all of the extreme weather events that have occurred in this past year and is a reminder of why the work of the Energy and Power Subcommittee, the Energy and Commerce Committee, and this Congress overall is so necessary and so important. The CHAIR. The time of the gentleman has again expired.
