Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I have comments I wish to make on 1099 which are at odds with the distinguished Senator from Nebraska, but I will hold that for another moment. Amendment No. 183 I think it is well known that in West Virginia we have had our problems with EPA, and I have an amendment which would say for a period of 2 years they would not have the power to enforce their laws on stationary sources, i.e., powerplants. But it lasts for 2 years and then it stops. What is my reason for doing that? I will offer this amendment. My reason for doing that is, I wish to give us the time to come up with a good carbon sequestration bill and also give us the time to come up with an energy policy, since, if my amendment were to pass--since it is 2 years from the date of passage--that does give us the time, if it is the will of the Congress, to have an energy policy. If it is not, then that, of course, is quite a different matter. But I simply cannot support and will not support the McConnell amendment, which calls for a complete emasculation of EPA forever. I do not understand this type of thinking. I understand we are in a very sort of difficult position in a postelection period, where people have very strong ideas: Let's get rid of government, and let's size everything down and get rid of all these people who have been giving us trouble. I think we have to be mature in the way we approach these problems.…”