Herb Kohl: “I rise at this time with 13 cosponsors to urge all of my colleagues to support our bipartisan no-OPEC amendment to the…”

“I rise at this time with 13 cosponsors to urge all of my colleagues to support our bipartisan no-OPEC amendment to the Energy bill. This amendment will hold OPEC member nations to account under U.S. antitrust law when they agree to limit supply or fix prices in violation of the most basic principles of free competition. In addition to the 13 cosponsors of this amendment today, companion House legislation passed the other body last month by an overwhelming 345-to-72 vote. This amendment will authorize the Justice Department, and only the Justice Department, to file suit against nations or other entities that participate in a conspiracy to limit supply or fix the price of oil. We have longed decried OPEC, but sadly no one in Government has yet tried to take any action. This amendment will, for the first time, establish clearly and plainly that when a group of competing oil producers, such as the OPEC nations, act together to restrict supply or to set prices, then they will be violating U.S. law.”