Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I thank Senator Collins for her leadership and for her illuminating the rest of the Senate. Maybe not everyone has as many trees as we do, and biomass. I appreciate what she has done. I was proud to cosponsor this bill and be one of the leads on it, with Senator King. This amendment moves us forward in really recognizing the full benefits of the use of forest biomass as a homegrown energy solution. I also thank Senator Cantwell and Senator Murkowski for their work on this Energy bill and the inclusion of this amendment--an amendment that encourages interagency coordination to establish consistent policies relating to forest biomass energy. We have often talked about how we don't want to have just one source of energy, whether hydro, nuclear--you name it. So we want to recognize the importance of this forest biomass energy and talk a little bit about it today. I sent letters to the EPA and have spoken with administration officials, urging them to adopt a clear biomass accounting framework that is simple to understand and implement. Without clear policies that recognize the carbon benefits--and I will say that again: the carbon benefits--of forest biomass, private investment throughout the biomass supply chain will dry up and the positive momentum we have built toward a more renewable energy future will be lost. Supporting homegrown energy is an important part in an ``all of the above'' energy strategy.…”