Joe Barton: “I sincerely respect the intent of the authors of the amendment. I am just trying to point out that even on a cursory…”

“I sincerely respect the intent of the authors of the amendment. I am just trying to point out that even on a cursory examination, there are things that were just kind of hastily put together. They have not been vetted. The underlying bill has been through countless hearings. The Energy and Commerce markup took 3\1/2\ days. The base text is the conference report from the last Congress that was extensively reviewed both inside and out of the conference. At this stage of the game, to adopt this, even as well intentioned as it is, would not put the Congress in the best light. So I really would hope that we would vote it down. I do want to say one thing about the gentleman from Michigan's amendment on Great Lakes drilling. He offered his amendment in committee. We had a fair debate on it. It was rejected. I do not remember the vote. It was a fairly close vote, but it was rejected. Then we took a Rogers of Michigan amendment as a substitute that gives the States the right to ban drilling if they wish. It is my understanding, and I could be incorrect about this, that Michigan wishes to ban drilling in the Great Lakes and Ohio perhaps does not. I did not learn whether New York wanted to or did not want to. I think that Canada does allow it. But the base bill allows a State the right to ban drilling on their portion of jurisdiction of the Great Lakes if they so wish.”