Maria Cantwell: “Enron is actually suing consumers across America. They are suing consumers in my State, in Washington, in Oregon…”

“Enron is actually suing consumers across America. They are suing consumers in my State, in Washington, in Oregon, California, Nevada, Idaho, in the Midwest, in the East. The States on this map, those are States in which Enron is saying to utilities and to consumers and ratepayers: I am taking you to court to make sure you continue to pay on manipulated contracts because really you are going to be the deep pocket for these energy prices. It is just plain wrong. It is plain wrong that that is what America is dealing with and that this particular bill does nothing about it. Since the beginning of these contracts in my area, I have probably paid $700 on my own energy bill--$700 more than I would have paid if we would have had normal rates. Here is a check from me. It is not really my bank. It obviously doesn't have my bank number on there. But that is what I am going to next pay to Enron because of the fact that my utility can't get out of those manipulated contracts. My utility can't get out of those contracts. That is what everyone in Snohomish is going to have to pay, $370 more, even though we have already paid $796 more since the crisis began. There is another example of a woman in Snohomish County, where I live, who was trying to take care of her mother. Basically, she got laid off from Boeing. She got a utility bill for $605, nearly double the last bill she had. Her mother got a bill for $747. Her mother is on a fixed income.”