Hold It All In Act

Hi, I am Illinois Democratic Senator and Minority Whip Dick Durbin. I will
be speaking about senate bill 2-2015, the Hold It All In Act, regarding
energy industry reform through better regulation and halting of further
development and exploration of natural gas and crude oil drilling.
Republicans fear that such a bill will negatively affect industry profits and
threaten jobs. However, they are not taking into account the urgency and
benefits of such regulations. The Republican approach to climate change is
denial of the overwhelming scientific evidence that climate change is real
and is caused by human actions.
Greenhouse gas levels are higher now than ever before and we must address
these rising levels. Much of this rise is a result of increased natural gas wells
that leak methane. Methane levels have more than doubled in the last two
centuries, now making up 7% of total global greenhouse gas emissions.
More threatening though is that methane is more than 80 times more potent
than CO2. Currently, global oil and gas industries allow more than 3.6
trillion cubic feet of natural gas to escape into the atmosphere annually. This
leakage rate represents at least $30 billion in lost revenues. Section three
would aim to reduce methane levels by plugging leaks, which would
increase efficiency and profit for the companies.
I recognize that the amendments are necessary and are moving us in the right
direction. In their 2014 report, the IPCC warned that, Continuedemissions
ofgreenhousegaseswillcausefurtherwarmingandlonglastingchangesin
allcomponentsoftheclimatesystem,increasingthelikelihoodofsevere,
pervasiveandirreversibleimpactsforpeopleandecosystems." In order to
prevent such catastrophe, I believe we need a bill to pass that isnt afraid to
take significant action to reduce emissions and our dependence on oil and
gas.
Despite Republican reservations to regulation, Republicans and Democrats
alike agree that in some point in future we will need to switch to renewable
energy, so why not start that transition now? We cannot continue to neglect
the environmental crisis we face because this is the future of our country and
the future of our children. I urge all of you to vote for this bill because it can
help bring forth a viable solution to the global warming crisis and more
easily move us to a clean energy nation that will support future generations
and the health of our environment.

Alternative: I recognize that this bill needs to be amended, but the proposals
by the Republican Party are outrageous and unrealistic. We cannot continue
to neglect the environmental crisis we face because this is the future of our
country and the future of our children. Republicans and Democrats alike
agree that in some point in future we will need to switch to renewable
energy, so why not start that transition now? We should be working together
to move to a cleaner and more sustainable planet instead of investing in
more unsustainable energy resources like oil and gas. The Republicans have
made a bill to support the planet, now a bill to destroy it further. I urge
everyone who values the health and future of our planet to vote against it.
Defense Spending Redistribution Act
Hi, I am Illinois Democratic Senator and Minority Whip Dick Durbin. I will
be speaking about senate bill 1-2015, the Defense Spending Redistribution
Act. I dont want to leave this country defenseless anymore than the next
person, but that not at all what this bill does. The cuts proposed in the bill
are not essential to military operations. The bill only addresses shipments
that the army has explicitly stated that they do not need. Therefore, the
money would be better spent in departments that actually need it such as
veteran affairs and education.
In September of this year, in my home state of Illinois, I was outraged to
discover an outbreak of Legionnaires disease, a serious form of pneumonia,
that claimed twelve veterans lives and 54 veterans good health as a result
of an underfunded veterans home and care facility. The outdated
infrastructure and plumbing of the facility made it difficult to track the
source of the outbreak. Updates to the facility would have allowed health
officials to more quickly and effectively identify the source and prevent the
spread of the sickness.
This is just one instance of a poorly funded system costing our veterans not
only their wellbeing, but also their lives. Think about the 20 million other
veterans in the U.S., the majority of which receive federal veteran benefits
including health care, support groups, family compensation, and disability
compensation. Over eight million veterans benefit from the VA health care
system alone. This is not to mention the countless other programs in place to
provide aid to our veterans. Would you, Senator, look those heroes in the eye
and tell them that you would deny them benefits they not only deserve, but

also rely on just to tack on one more unused aircraft carrier to our military
stockpiles?
20 million veterans and their families are affected by the underfunded VA
department and exactly zero people are affected by these unnecessary
military upgrades. We are no more protected by the equipment outlined in
this bill than we would be without it. Republicans, we value national
security as much as you do, but when we have prestigious military officials
telling us that we dont need this equipment, it only makes sense to trust
them. This is not a partisan agenda, but common-sense legislation.