Ron Wyden: “sometimes the test of legislation in the Senate is did we do less harm than good. Some might say, by that test, this…”

“sometimes the test of legislation in the Senate is did we do less harm than good. Some might say, by that test, this Energy bill is worth voting for. I will tell you that test is not good enough when America is at war and our dependence upon foreign oil is putting our citizens at risk each and every day. The test in the Senate that, well, maybe this legislation has some good is unacceptable when there is a rare opportunity and a rare obligation to avoid the terrifying human costs of future wars. In those rare instances, the test in the Senate should be did Congress meet its obligations. I have concluded that in this energy bill we have not. Our dependence on foreign oil will not be reduced as a result of this legislation. As a result, we have not reduced the prospect of going to war once again in the Persian Gulf in the next decade. I do not understand how we will explain to every man and woman who fights so courageously in Iraq and Afghanistan, or how to explain to every veteran who fought in the Persian Gulf in the last decade, how we failed to meet our obligation to avoid future wars. For this reason, I want to express a deep regret to those soldiers and veterans because your children are now no less likely to be asked to fight a very similar war. I want to express a deep regret to the families of those soldiers and veterans because their children may someday face the very same burdens.…”