Unanimous Consent Agreement- H.R. 6

July 31, 2003

UNANIMOUS CONSENT AGREEMENT—H.R. 6

    Ms. CANTWELL. Reserving the right to object, I know the leadership on both sides of the aisle would like to proceed on last year's Senate Energy bill. This Senator believes we have just begun to have debate on two important issues that have emerged since that legislation was passed by this body.

    The first issue is we now know for a fact, proven by the Federal Regulatory Commission, by the Department of Justice, and by Enron's own memos, that market manipulation has occurred. The 2002 Energy bill does not address that issue.

    This body will need to come back and address that issue. I am happy to address it in another forum, but I am hearing a commitment from leadership on both sides that we will come back and address this issue.

    The second issue: The Federal Regulatory Commission, since the passage of the 2002 act, issued a rule calling for the implementation of mandatory regional transmission organizations and standard market design. For my colleagues who do not understand what that means, it means a national grid where your region's cheap, affordable electricity at cost-based rates might be displaced by the highest bidder of an energy company that wants to sell its more expensive energy in your State.

    The 2002 bill does not address that. We need to address the fact that we do not want FERC to proceed on an order mandating regional transmission organizations with standard market design. That is what some of my amendments dealt with; that is what some of the underlying bill dealt with. That is not in the 2002 version.

    I will not object at this time based on agreement that I have heard from my leadership and the majority leadership that we will have an opportunity to address both of those issues in the future.

    The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.