Joe Barton: “I am a little bit puzzled at some of the opposition from the other side on this issue. My subcommittee held hearings on…”

“I am a little bit puzzled at some of the opposition from the other side on this issue. My subcommittee held hearings on this legislation last year. My subcommittee passed the bill, I think, by unanimous consent out of the subcommittee. We passed a piece of legislation on this issue either by unanimous consent or with very few no votes out of the full Committee on Commerce, over a year ago. That legislation has languished as the Senate has worked its will on this same issue. And now, as we are in the waning weeks of this Congress, the Senate has reported a bill that, quite frankly, is much stronger than the bill that came out of the Committee on Commerce. Our bill was a straight reauthorization of the existing pipeline safety law with some modifications. At the time of our hearings and the time of the debate in the committee, the Committee on Commerce, there were some concerns raised. The gentleman from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey), who just spoke, raised some concerns; but basically, at that point in time last year, it was felt that straight reauthorization with some modification was acceptable. Now, what the other body has done is to actually present a much tougher bill in terms of safety.”