Angie Craig: “before I yield the floor, let me extend a very special thanks to all who have participated in the crafting and the final…”

“before I yield the floor, let me extend a very special thanks to all who have participated in the crafting and the final work product that we now have before us, a national energy policy for our country. A good many have contributed and most assuredly the chairman of the committee, Pete Domenici, and the ranking member, Senator Bingaman, have done an excellent job, in a very bipartisan way, to bring us to where we are at this moment. Let me also extend a special thanks to the staff of the committee who have expended extraordinary time and hours to get us to this point. I thank my personal staff for a near 5-year effort, as we have worked over a long period of time to winnow out, shape, and bring before us what I think I can say is a very fine work product. I am anxious to see its final passage, which will occur on Tuesday, and a conference with the House. I hope we can have this bill on the President's desk sooner, rather than later. The American people deserve a national energy policy that allows this country to get back into the production of energy of all of the types that have been addressed in this legislation. I thank all of my colleagues for their work effort, and I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Rhode Island.”