Robert Torricelli: “I voted for this pipeline safety legislation in the last Senate. I would like to be able to vote for it in this Senate.…”

“I voted for this pipeline safety legislation in the last Senate. I would like to be able to vote for it in this Senate. It is legislation that should be enacted. As a nation in the midst of an energy crisis, we need to have the pipeline network of the Nation constructed and expanded to supply communities in need, and to do so can only help reduce prices. This Senate should act forthwith to do so. As I voted for this legislation previously, it is worth noting that this is not the same Senate that it was a year ago. The membership is different, the balances are different, and this bill should be different. My colleague from New Jersey, Senator Corzine, is prepared to offer a series of amendments that I think are thoughtful and would help not simply communities in New Jersey but communities in States throughout the Nation. They are centered on several specific objectives. I am going to review them, but I first want to make clear that I do think the legislation as offered makes some progress on these issues.”