No, not for Vice Chair, Mr. Chairman, I wouldn't switch parties just to become a Vice Chair.

What is the future of that office under your administration, the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity?

Many consumer advocacy groups believe that the RTOs are too beholden to the utilities than they are trying to administrate.

Many, many in this room, plus DOE, are in the difficult position of unfairly and unjustly picking winners and losers, and placing the interests of select industries above the public interest.

It is vital that we hear from people who are being impacted the most, consumers and retailers.

FERC and DOE have become too tolerant of the RTOs' ability to shut out public interests.

The whole process for reforming energy markets have become more and more complex, while at the same time consumer voices have been diluted.

Consumers do not have the opportunity to fairly participate of all the developments taking place within the energy markets.

I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``Nay'' on rollcall No. 538. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the resolution. The question was taken; and the Speaker pro tempore announced that the ayes…

I want to thank you for holding this important hearing today, Examining Technology's Role in Empowering Consumers.

I must also note, Mr. Chairman, that we are holding this hearing in the midst of National Clean Energy Week.

It is important to understand that consumers are also driving many of the trends we see taking place in the electricity market.