Political Quotes

“I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record a letter dated July 20, 2010, to Senator McConnell. There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: U.S. Senate, July 20, 2010. Hon. Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader, U.S. Senate, Washington, DC. Dear Senator McConnell: I am requesting that I be consulted before the Senate enters into any unanimous consent agreements or time limitations regarding S. 3466, the Environmental Crimes Enforcement Act. My concerns with this bill include, but are not limited to, those outlined in this letter. Individuals and corporate entities who commit environmental crimes must be held accountable for their actions. However, while this bill is well-intentioned, I believe current law provides sufficient penalties for environmental wrongdoers, and I am concerned this bill goes too far in increasing enforcement provisions by mandating restitution to victims of environmental crimes. This bill expands the list of crimes which require mandatory restitution by adding environmental crimes covered by the criminal enforcement provisions of the Clean Water Act. Currently, the list of crimes subject to mandatory restitution is limited to violent crimes, certain offenses against property under the Controlled Substances Act, and crimes relating to tampering with consumer products. No environmental law is listed under the mandatory restitution statute.…”