Byron Dorgan: “Perhaps. My point is with respect to the regulatory reform agenda, I know the Senator has read the accounts and probably…”

“Perhaps. My point is with respect to the regulatory reform agenda, I know the Senator has read the accounts and probably verified them in discussing them with our colleagues that the bill in the House of Representatives was actually written by a bunch of lobbyists sitting in a room saying, ``This is what we need to have happen.'' I guarantee you this--I just guarantee because I have been in these fights in North Dakota for a long time, with respect to air pollution and other matters. The corporate system is interested in profit, and they should be because they are responsible to their stockholders. When they sit around and propose regulatory reform legislation, they are designing to find ways to weaken the Clear Air Act, the Clean Water Act and a whole series of regulatory standards. That is simply the way it works. I think that is unfortunate, but they have every right to try to do that. I want to make sure we get rid of the silly and the outrageous regulations--and there are some--but I want to keep the foundation of what we have done. Is the Senator aware of this: I wonder if the Senator is aware-- likely, because I think he is one of the best in the Senate on the issue of energy and related issues--that in the last 20 years, we have nearly doubled the amount of energy we use, and yet the airshed in America is cleaner than it was 20 years ago?”