On the recordSeptember 21, 2012
Mr. President, I would like to thank my colleague from Oregon, Mr. Merkley, for working with the Senator from Missouri, Mrs. McCaskill, and me today to address his concerns with our bipartisan bill, S. 1956, the European Union Emissions Trading Scheme Prohibition Act. The amendment, which he has filed for consideration and which is currently running through the hotline process, reconfirms that the Secretary of Transportation's responsibility to determine there is a public interest before taking any action does not end after the first determination. Instead, it is an ongoing responsibility. The amendment that Mr. Merkley has filed, and which I support, clarifies that it is the Secretary's right to reassess the public interest determination. Additionally, the amendment clarifies that if the EU ETS is amended, if there is an international agreement on aviation emissions, or if a Federal public law is enacted that addresses aviation emissions, that the Secretary will again revisit the public interest determination. Again, I would like to thank the Senator from Oregon for working with me, and I look forward to passage of S. 1956.
