Political Quotes

“I appreciate the gentleman's courtesy, as I enjoy listening to the former chairman of the Commerce Committee in his argument on the floor. He gave us part of the story. I find a certain irony, however. He talked about how he supported the 1990 Clean Air Act. Well, many of the arguments he makes that we're hearing here today could have been directed towards him and his own support in 1990. But bear in mind what happened in 1990. It didn't impose a bunch of rules and regulations. It put in motion a process so that we would have those studies. From 1990 to 1998, EPA was studying the issue. They came to the conclusion that the study mandated under the 1990 Clean Air Act required that we promulgate rules to regulate this pollution. From 1998 until 2005, the Clinton administration, and then the Bush administration's EPA, they kind of studied it. They came to the same conclusion. The Bush administration came up with rules that were so flawed they were thrown out by the Courts. It didn't meet the standard that was required by your 1990 Clean Air Act. So here we are now, in 2011, 21 years later, talking about another study to delay it further, delay further what the gentleman, and I would say a number of Republicans on the Commerce Committee, supported in 1990. But now it's crunch time. We actually have to do something. My friends on the other side of the aisle are fond of saying we shouldn't pick winners and losers in the economy. Well, Mr.…”