US Energy Bill Could Pass if MTBE Dropped-Daschle

[Judi Lynn]

US Energy Bill Could Pass if MTBE Dropped-Daschle
Wed January 7, 2004 06:19 PM ET

(Page 1 of 2)
By Chris Baltimore
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Senate Democratic Leader Tom Daschle on Wednesday said Republicans could pick up six Senate votes for stalled energy legislation if they dropped controversial measures to protect oil companies from lawsuits.

The sweeping energy bill, which would offer $31 billion in tax incentives for oil, gas, nuclear and other energy sources, failed by two votes to pass the U.S. Senate in November.

Democrats and moderate Republicans have heaped their opposition on measures that would shelter makers of fuel additive MTBE -- methyl tertiary butyl ether -- from product-defect lawsuits.

MTBE is a suspected carcinogen that has contaminated underground water supplies in many cities. It competes with corn-based ethanol, which has wide support among Midwestern lawmakers and the Bush administration.

Senate Republican Leader Bill Frist of Tennessee has pledged to try to revive the bill when the Senate reconvenes later this month.
(snip/...)

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=politicsNews&storyID=4090052

[Leilani]

1. Another Sellout

The energy bill is a giant payoff to large special interests.

It does nothing to really address our energy needs, & does little for alternative sources. Doesn't even increase CAFE standards.

What a bunch of losers.

But Tom Daschle is running for reelection, so he's going to give Bush another legislative victory.

[mahina]

2. Any Hawai'i voters out there?

Please contact Senator Inouye and let him know this bill stinks. Word is he is considering changing his no vote to a yes.
Tell him "a'ole!"

[Leilani]

3. Hawaii voter here

Will do; will also contact Akaka.

[La_Serpiente]

4. Hawaii person here

I already called his office. I sent a letter to Akaka as well.

[newyawker99]

10. Hi mahina!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[dusty64]

5. Oh great, looks

like they are softening us up for another extreme right/corporate "victory". Can there be ANY doubt anymore who controls things in this Country? Yet another giant corporate welfare plan that will harm the Earth and the People and WE get the pleasure of paying more to these morally bankrupt entities to harm and economically rape us.

Government by the corporations FOR the corporations. Sadly, the People don't seem to be catching on to what is being done to them. Too busy awaiting the next American Idol perhaps. I guess its kinda good they can't awake from their slumber, imagine what might happen if they knew how badly they were being screwed?

[sendero]

6. Daschle...

.... never fails to dissapoint. Removing one turd from that steaming pile hardly makes it worthy of passage.

Sometimes I think a cleanup of Congress would be a lot more useful than a cleanup of the executive, as much as I oppose Bush*.

[dusty64]

7. I think our whole

government needs to be cleaned out. Congress is completely filled with corporate puppets, one step at a time I guess assuming that our election system still works.

[revcarol]

8. The WTO would enforce $$MILLIONS for "damages" if we dropped MTBE.

Remember CA? They tried to drop MTBE and immediately got sued by a Canadian firm under NAFTA (and the WTO) provision which states that if we "damage" their industry, for whatever reason, even CA's environmental laws , we have to pay, for damages and profits from future sales, even CA. SO the oil companies GOTTA keep using MTBE or get their butt sued off. So this issue is a lot more complicated than the article lets on.

So under NAFTA, the oil companies have to keep using MTBE, if they don't they will get sued, and then turn around and have them sued in the U. S.

So, is it fair(oh, the joy of defending oil companies!!) that we let them be sued in the U. S. when the National government was the one who signed NAFTA?

DUMP NAFTA - VOTE DENNIS KUCINICH

[Mika]

9. Thanks, revcarol, for reminding us of that

But we the citizens can't sue for MBTE contamination of our own country. :crazy:

[dusty64]

11. Looks like

we'll have to contact our Senators again. Don't want them to think we're not paying attention, ya can't turn your backs on them for a minute. :grr: