Political Quotes

On the recordApril 6, 2011
we have heard a lot of rhetoric on the floor of the Chamber today defending why air pollution is just fine, explaining why dismantling air pollution regulations is really in the interest of our economy and our families. Indeed, my colleague from South Dakota has listed a little shop of horrors--that the status quo creates economic uncertainty, that the air pollution regulations increase the risk rate of capital, that they destroy jobs, that they even hurt the elderly, that they are an abuse of power, unauthorized by Congress. I am wondering what else is left on the list of reasons to defend the dismantling of air pollution regulations that protect the American people, that are popular in the eyes of American citizens because they want to live in a world where they can enjoy breathing the air throughout our Nation. Let's start by recognizing that the truth about the McConnell amendment is that it increases our dependence on foreign oil. We have heard something about it driving up the cost of oil. Is that right? Well, no, it is not. Repealing the endangerment finding and taking away EPA's part of the regulation of mileage standards is estimated to increase our consumption of oil by 455 million barrels. Gas prices are about $3.50 a gallon right now. So the McConnell- Inhofe amendment represents a $68 billion expenditure on additional oil. It means importing $68 billion more of oil.…
Said by
Jeff Merkley
Democratic · Oregon
Source
govinfo.gov
Apr 6, 2011

Share

More from Jeff Merkley

Aug 19, 2026

Pollinators need healthy habitats to survive and benefit Oregon’s farms, forests, and natural landscapes.

wyden.senate.gov
Aug 19, 2026

It looked like bombs had gone off in these towns. Thousands of people in the fairgrounds who couldn’t return to their homes. We want expertise, and the mistreatment of the federal expertise, the civil service, is going to hurt us for…

rollcall.com
Aug 1, 2026

Now that court documents have confirmed what we knew to be true, we write to demand that you restore previously awarded funding that the Trump Administration has weaponized in an attempt to punish perceived political enemies.

wyden.senate.gov
Aug 14, 2026

If we don't repair the Constitution, we don't have a republic.

reason.com

Other voices in this conversation