Joe Barton: “I might point out that this is also supported by the National Hydropower Association. The title on hydro relicensing…”

“I might point out that this is also supported by the National Hydropower Association. The title on hydro relicensing that is in the bill that is before us does not waive anything of the Endangered Species Act. It does not waive any part of the Safe Water Drinking Act. It does not waive any environmental law that is currently on the books. What it does do, if a person has an application to relicense a hydro project in this country, and if a Federal agency proposes what is called a mandatory condition to that relicensing, we allow under our bill the applicant to offer an alternative to that mandatory condition; and if that alternative is as effective in protecting the environment and is more cost-effective or energy-efficient, then the agency has to accept the alternative. That is the principal difference between this bill and the bill that we adopted in the last Congress that the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Dingell) has in his motion to recommit. I would urge my colleagues to support the bill. The bill was introduced as a stand-alone hydro relicensing bill with several Democrats as cosponsors, and when we had votes on this in subcommittee and full committee, a fair number of Democrats crossed over to oppose the gentleman from Michigan's (Mr. Dingell) bill and support what is in our bill. So let us vote in a bipartisan fashion to oppose the motion to recommit.”