Ed Markey: “The Republican majority calls this bill the SAFE Act, the Securing America's Future Energy, SAFE, Act. What it does…”

“The Republican majority calls this bill the SAFE Act, the Securing America's Future Energy, SAFE, Act. What it does, though, it allows drilling in the Arctic wilderness; it does not really do anything on fuel economy standards in automobiles, which is where we put two-thirds of all oil, into gasoline tanks, and the tax credits are for the biggest oil companies. Right now this bill should be called UNSAFE, Unkind to nature, Sacrificing the Arctic, Freebies for Energy. UNSAFE. Now, how was this bill put together? Well, it was put together in four committees, largely along party-line votes. The bill contains many provisions that were added to the bill after the committees finished with it, with no notice or consultation with the minority, with the Democrats, and it strips or guts other provisions of the bill that Members on this side of the aisle had succeeded in adding during the committee markups that would have been fairer to the environment and to consumers and to taxpayers. All that Members on this side of the aisle are looking for is a fair opportunity to put through to the American people a set of alternatives that all Members of Congress would have the opportunity to have voted upon.”