Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, earlier, we heard the gentleman from Illinois say that this was a just say no bill. You bet it is. That is exactly what it is. It is the just say no bill--no to a weaker electric grid; no to fewer jobs, particularly in manufacturing and also in the coal and energy industries; no to regulations that do little to help the environment, but do a lot to raise your electric rates. When we are talking about protecting the ratepayer--that is who we are talking about, the average man and woman in this country, the families that are out there struggling, trying to make ends meet in an economy that is flat--this bill says no, we are not going to pass a bill on to you for little gain in the environment, but to raise your electric rates tremendously. The American families cannot afford it. Mr. Chairman, as an example, we heard from a former regulator earlier, but the Virginia State Corporation Commission--and that is the organization in Virginia--appointed judges who make the decisions on what you are going to pay for power in Virginia based on what is an appropriate amount. They said that customers in Virginia will likely pay significantly more for their electricity. {time} 1500 The incremental cost of compliance for one utility alone--Dominion Virginia Power--would likely be between $5.5 billion and $6 billion on a net present value basis. That is just for one of the companies providing power. Let me give you an idea, Mr.…”