Angie Craig: “I come to the floor in morning business to talk about National Public Lands Day, but before I do that I want to respond…”

“I come to the floor in morning business to talk about National Public Lands Day, but before I do that I want to respond to my colleague from North Dakota, ever so briefly, to suggest that the Defense authorization bill can and should move on the floor just as he said. There are not a lot of amendments that are holding it up, but there is one important one--that has not yet been offered--in an effort to try to cause the Senate to shape a direction and establish a time certain when the Senate can debate a national energy policy. The Presiding Officer happens to be chairman of the Energy Committee in the Senate. He and I have worked long hours already, trying to determine what might go into a national energy policy bill that could come from his authorizing committee. As we know, the House acted before the August recess on a national energy policy. At that time, the American people said we ought to have a national energy policy for the stability and strength of our economy, because of the long-term need for energy, and, last, because of national security needs. Since September 11, there has been a literally cataclysmic change in the thinking of the American people as it relates to energy. Issues that once resided in the 35-percent positive range are now at 65-percent positive, relating to certain aspects of energy and energy development.”