Debbie Dingell: “we have before us a highly partisan project, written in secret and kept from the light of day just like the Cheney task…”

“we have before us a highly partisan project, written in secret and kept from the light of day just like the Cheney task force. The result speaks for itself. And when you lift the lid, like lifting the lid on a garbage can, you get a strong smell of special interest provisions. There are some worthy titles and some worthy items, but they are much submerged in the special interest provisions of this legislation. The conference report does include consensus electric reliability provisions that the Democrats have supported, but the report will probably handcuff the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's ability to prevent future blackouts. It repeals the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 with its consumer and investor protections. It favors certain utilities and other special interests. It preempts State and local authorities on transmission line siting decisions. The conference report shortchanges our rivers and conservationists as well. It tilts the relicensing process in favor of utilities by giving them special rights and procedures not afforded to other parties who have interests in these same uses of special public resources, such as the States, the Indian tribes, the sportsmen, or the conservationists. One of the more troublesome aspects of this report is its direct assault on the Nation's safe drinking water supply. It weakens the Safe Drinking Water Act.”