Stephen Miller: “I rise in support of the Kyl/Miller amendment on the renewable portfolio standard. As a Governor and now a Senator, I…”

“I rise in support of the Kyl/Miller amendment on the renewable portfolio standard. As a Governor and now a Senator, I have always been sensitive to the real-world effects of policy. I want to tell you about some of the real-world effects of the issue before us today, the issue of renewable fuels. I commend the majority leader and the Senator from New Mexico for including the subject of renewable fuels in the debate on the comprehensive energy bill. I think it is very important for us to be able to enjoy the comfortable life we all expect and still leave a clean planet to our children and our grandchildren. Using renewable fuels helps our society to fulfill these goals. But when I read the original provisions on renewable fuels in S. 517, they give me pause. I understand Senator Bingaman's intent in putting a renewable standard in this bill. I think that is good. With all due respect, however, I believe he is going about it in the wrong way. Perhaps it is because of my previous life, but I trust State governments. I trust the people who run them, and I think we need to trust the States to create a renewable standard that meets both their needs and their capabilities. We do not need to hand them an expensive Federal standard that they will not be able to meet. Fourteen States already have renewable programs in place, and this amendment would preempt them. It would be saying to them: We are smarter. We know better.”