Debbie Dingell: “this is a bad bill. It is an odd mishmash of special interest provisions, deregulatory actions, degradation of our…”

“this is a bad bill. It is an odd mishmash of special interest provisions, deregulatory actions, degradation of our environmental laws. It gives away billions of dollars to powerful industry, courtesy of the taxpayer. It undermines existing environmental protections. In the area of hydroelectric power, the bill undercuts safeguards for dam relicensing, jeopardizing not only fish but the overall health of our river systems. It weakens the Safe Drinking Water Act and environmental protections and safeguards in oil and gas production. H.R. 6 eliminates requirements for public participation and deference to the States in decisions where electric transmission lines can be sited and whether natural gas facilities should be constructed in coastal waters. It undercuts natural resource agencies' role in determining whether transmission lines should be constructed in our national forests and on other public lands. But that is not all. Certain favored industries get big benefits. Energy consumers are left unprotected. I guess average customers and consumers were not in the room when the Vice President held closed-door meetings of his Energy Task Force. It is hard to imagine a better case for increasing consumer protections than the debacle that took place in 2000-2001 in California and other West Coast electricity markets.”