Jeff Bingaman: “I wish to offer an amendment, amendment No. 717. It is an amendment related to our energy policy. Its purpose, as…”

“I wish to offer an amendment, amendment No. 717. It is an amendment related to our energy policy. Its purpose, as provided in the amendment, is to provide energy conservation and production tax incentives. Let me briefly describe the amendment and the reasons I urge my colleagues to support the amendment when we do get the opportunity to vote on it later this evening. Last Thursday, President Bush unveiled his national energy policy. I have a copy. There is a lot in this national energy policy upon which I think all Members can agree. There are proposals that will increase production; there are proposals that encourage conservation; there are proposals that will try to stimulate more innovation in technology to better capture energy and use energy in the future. I commend the President for the initiative he has shown. Obviously, there are provisions in this national energy policy that are going to be very controversial and that I will not support.”