Ted Stevens: “I would like to thank the chairman for his outstanding leadership and extraordinary hard work on this bill. Senator…”

“I would like to thank the chairman for his outstanding leadership and extraordinary hard work on this bill. Senator Baucus made passage of this legislation one of his top priorities and he has followed through with enormous perseverance and creativity. I also commend Senator Chafee for his hard work on this bill, in particular his strong efforts on provisions to assist small businesses in pollution prevention and environmental compliance. Finally, Senator Mikulski also has been one of the true leaders in this field. Both Senator Mikulski and I had originally introduced separate environmental technology bills. Under Senator Baucus's leadership, these original bills have been combined with his legislation to develop a comprehensive environmental technology bill that will help make America a leader in environmental technology. By combining our efforts, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. This bill will address two big concerns of the American people--the environment and the economy. Innovative technologies can save American companies money, increase U.S. exports, create jobs and help ensure a healthy, productive environment.”