Don Nickles: “That investigation is pending. Supposedly, the Justice Department is reviewing that case. I urge all of our colleagues…”

“That investigation is pending. Supposedly, the Justice Department is reviewing that case. I urge all of our colleagues, to think about that. There are two federal employees involved in developing these MMS regulations who were paid $350,000 by a group with a financial interest in the final rule. I find that to be corrupt. I find that to be unethical. I find that to be outlandish. It needs to be stopped. So I compliment, again, my colleague from Texas for this amendment. We need to make sure that Congress raises taxes if Congress is going to. If there is going to be a tax increase, if there is going to be a royalty increase, it should happen by an act of Congress. It should not happen by an act of unelected bureaucrats changing the rules without appropriate legislative authority and opening up a litigation nightmare. Mr. President, I move to table.”