Russ Feingold: “Once again, this body has missed a chance to pass responsible, effective legislation responding to the very real and…”

“Once again, this body has missed a chance to pass responsible, effective legislation responding to the very real and very pressing energy needs of this country. While there may be pieces of S. 3711 that have merit, I did not support cloture and I will not vote in favor of the final bill. I voted to allow the Senate to consider S. 3711 in the hope that we might have a serious discussion of the bill, including debating and voting on amendments to improve it. While the bill only addresses one part of our energy needs, it could have provided an opportunity for the Senate to finally address a broad range of energy issues. Unfortunately, Senators were prevented from offering amendments, so there was no opportunity to address, for example, efficiency, conservation, renewable fuels, or even global warming. The result is another missed opportunity to pass the comprehensive energy legislation that our constituents are looking for. In addition to opposing the flawed process for consideration of S. 3711, I have grave concerns about the fiscal implications of the legislation. This bill will redirect billions of dollars in Federal revenues to just four States. While I agree that we have a responsibility to ensure that Federal dollars are going to important activities like protecting and restoring coastal wetlands, I do not believe that doing so requires creation of a new entitlement for a handful of States. If enacted, S.…”