DOE'S WATKINS VOICES ANGER AT SENATE ENERGY BILL DERAILMENT

Energy Sec. James Watkins showed his anger over the Senate's rejection of the energy policy bill in a talk before the National Coalition for Advanced Manufacturing. Watkins said, "Forty-four members of the Senate voted against debating this bill because of special interest pressure. "These senators were largely opposed to Title VII, allowing the environmentally responsible removal of oil and gas from a very small portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, with the eventual return of

Dec. 30, 1991

2 min read

Energy Sec. James Watkins showed his anger over the Senate's rejection of the energy policy bill in a talk before the National Coalition for Advanced Manufacturing.

Watkins said, "Forty-four members of the Senate voted against debating this bill because of special interest pressure.

"These senators were largely opposed to Title VII, allowing the environmentally responsible removal of oil and gas from a very small portion of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, with the eventual return of this land to original condition some 20 years later.

"Never mind that there are 15 other titles in this bill to lay the foundation for a greater supply of cleaner, cheaper energy from all sources for the future. Instead, many politicians involved, with little or no experience in the responsibility for managing anything aside from law offices or political campaigns, defeated debate on the bill, stating that now everyone in the U.S. would have to use cars magically getting 75 mpg, and this will solve all our energy problems.

"These are the same politicians who a year earlier opposed the president on Operation Desert Storm, saying they were against the war because we had no national energy strategy.

"No wonder the American taxpayer is too often repulsed by what he sees in Congress, namely politicians who make promises they know we can't keep, who espouse programs for which they cannot pay."

Watkins said revenues from ANWR drilling are needed to fund other energy programs outlined in the legislation.

"This is a hard concept for many members of Congress to grasp because so many were exposed to a scientifically comatose educational system that didn't demand of them sufficient practical knowledge in science or analysis to permit logical judgment calls in a technically complex world. Sad but true.

"So they are used to talking about problems, not managing solutions. On the other hand, leadership in industry means producing tangible results against world competition."