Mitch Landrieu: “this truly is going to be quite a vote in just a few minutes as the Senate has decided to have a vote at 5 o'clock on…”

“this truly is going to be quite a vote in just a few minutes as the Senate has decided to have a vote at 5 o'clock on the Gulf of Mexico Energy Independence Act. Mr. President, you have been particularly helpful in putting this bill together, along with other gulf coast Senators. I wanted to come to the floor to thank so many people who have helped to make this bill possible. It was many months in the working, many, many negotiations and meetings that went on to produce a bill that is not only going to be of extraordinary help to the great State of Louisiana and to all the Gulf Coast States as we try to restore our coastline, restore our marshlands, stop the erosion, and build the levees and the floodgates that are so imperative and critical to the protection of our people, our communities, large and small, but it is also a bill that is so important for this Nation as we seek to increase the supply of oil and gas produced in this country so we don't have to rely on oil and gas coming in from unfriendly and unstable places. It took a tremendous amount of work for this bill to be put together. I begin by thanking particularly Senator Domenici who, as the chairman of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources for many years, has served as ranking member for some of those years, has led on the issue of energy in almost every aspect, trying to help us increase supply, diversify supply, and come together on conservation measures that are important for the Nation.…”