By Sen. BEN NIGHTHORSE CAMPBELL Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1002,73%257E436344,00.html
March 03, 2002
"It's finally here. The comprehensive energy bill that so many of us have long awaited has finally been introduced in the U.S. Senate. The debate to follow is likely to prove the most contentious of the 107th Congress.
As someone who has a seat on the Senate Energy Committee and the goal of making sure America's energy policy is as solid and smart as it can be, you can bet I'm going to be monitoring this debate closely and stepping in when needed.
Right now, the energy bill is more a vehicle to force votes on certain issues in an election year than a valid attempt to improve our national energy security. Rather than craft a balanced bill in the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Democrats have chosen to strip the bill out of committee and instead draft a bill behind closed partisan doors. This is not the way to ensure the future of our nation's energy concerns, nor is it the way to craft law.
Environmental fanaticism is at the top of my list of concerns. As it stands today, this bill does not pay as much attention to the economy and national security as it does to unfounded environmental concerns. As our nation enters what will probably be a long and costly fight against terrorism, this bill must not continue to be commandeered by environmental extremists with inflammatory agendas set on waging their own war in the name of all things "green." It is essential that the provisions in the final bill do not force Americans to pay a high price for questionable and uncertain benefits.
Also, this bill forces electric utilities and the gas and oil industries to comply with unfair standards and to try to meet unrealistic expectations. When industry is required to reach unobtainable standards, as is the case here, the extra cost of complying with the new regulations put in place to meet those standards is passed on to the consumers. That means consumers end up paying a lot for benefits they don't even get.
This bill ignores what people want and then penalizes them for their personal preferences. For example, the legislation would raise fuel-efficiency standards for cars, light trucks and SUVs to 35 mpg by 2013. Currently, cars must average 27.5 and light trucks and SUVs average 20.5 mpg. Saving fuel only sounds like a good idea until more facts are revealed. The popularity of SUVs demonstrates that the vast majority of Americans want larger, safer, more powerful vehicles.
Moreover, a National Academy of Sciences report showed that such a command-and-control increase in standards would reduce vehicle weight, jeopardizing safety and resulting in more traffic deaths. I support conservation proposals when they are reasonable. In this case, the likely loss of human life could never be justified.
This bill also has a variety of global climate change provisions that support the Kyoto Protocol and directly conflict with President Bush's position.
During the debate, a key fact must be kept in mind: The release of greenhouse gases is directly attributed to economic output and growth. Therefore, if the Kyoto Protocol's inflexible and unreasonable reduction schedule were implemented in the United States, our nation would have voluntarily reduced its economic growth. This bill would force a plan that the president has rejected, shrink the national economy and result in the loss of countless American jobs.
In the past, I have supported opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and I will again. I've been to the area and seen for myself how small the parcel of land that would be affected actually is. Also, I've had lengthy chats with those who will be most affected: the Inupiate Eskimo people who live in the Kaktovik Village, which falls within the boundaries of ANWR. As a vocal advocate of Indian issues and a leader on the Senate Indian Affairs Committee, I strongly believe in the right to self determination. The federal government should not tell a native people what to do with its own land.
As we move forward in the debate, you can be sure that I will keep the most important objective in mind: the welfare of Colorado energy consumers and the security of America's future."
[U.S. Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell is a Republican from Ignacio.]