S7418 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE June 11, 2007 same as the Senator who is expressed The bill we begin debate on today— amendment before any additional on page 24 of Roll Call, saying we have the Renewable Fuels, Consumer Pro- amendments are offered on this bill. to overcome the 15-vote deficit, it tection Energy Efficiency Act of 2007— I hope my colleagues will vote in won’t happen. We have about maxed takes several major steps toward re- favor of the motion to proceed. In fact, out at 80 percent. ducing our dependence on foreign oil, I hope we can proceed to the bill imme- The letter I am going to send to the promoting renewable energy that we diately and not have to use the 30 President will say a number of things. produce right here in America, and pro- hours. That will allow time for more Among other things, it will say: tecting our environment from global amendments. A strong spirit of bipartisanship has held warming. This bill is a substitute to f together the coalition of Democrats and Re- H.R. 6. This bill is a bipartisan bill. publicans who negotiated the compromise A number of my chairmen came to RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY and has sustained the Senate through 2 full me and said: We have this great legisla- LEADER weeks of debate on the bill. Unfortunately, tion in my committee; can we bring it that bipartisanship was largely absent in a The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tem- crucial vote last Thursday. forward? I said: No, we have to have an pore. The minority leader is recog- energy bill; our initial energy bill has nized. Then I will go on to state to the to be bipartisan. So the Energy Com- f President the percentages I just out- mittee, under the direction of Senators lined. BINGAMAN and DOMENICI, came up with IMMIGRATION I further say in the letter to the a good package. That is part of what President: Mr. MCCONNELL. Mr. President, just we are going to be debating in the Sen- a brief word about the immigration We appreciate the efforts of you and other ate. Republicans who have worked with us to get bill. We could have been wrapping it up the bill this far. But we believe it will take Then, in the Commerce Committee, tonight. stronger leadership by you to ensure that op- Senator STEVENS and Senator INOUYE As I indicated to my good friend, the ponents of the bill do not block the path to also came up with an extremely impor- majority leader, on Thursday after- final passage. Simply put, we need many tant piece of legislation dealing with noon, I thought there was every reason more than seven Republicans to vote for clo- CAFE standards, which is making cars to believe we could have finished the ture and final passage of the bill. more efficient. That is going to be in immigration bill by tonight. Instead, This letter will be signed by Senators the bill to be brought to the floor. we ended up having another cloture REID, DURBIN, SCHUMER, and MURRAY, Senator BOXER and Senator INHOFE vote—in my view, a day or two pre- the Democratic leadership team. also worked together to come up with mature—taking Friday off, and today I want to get the bill done. The over- another piece of legislation that we spending our time on a meaningless whelming majority of the Democratic have put in this one bill. Their part of resolution giving the President advice caucus has already voted for cloture. this bill is also excellent and deals with about whom the Attorney General The American people are certainly green buildings and making the mas- ought to be. looking to Congress for leadership. We sive fleet of Federal cars more energy Having said that, I appreciate the hope President Bush and his Repub- efficient. It is a good piece of legisla- comments of the majority leader that lican allies in Congress will find a way tion, and it is a bipartisan bill. he would like to finish the immigra- There will be people wanting to put to work with us to deliver this bill to tion bill. There is a substantial number tax measures on this, but I think we the immigrants, businesses, and all of Republican Senators who believe should wai