On the Record

Press Release

Senator Stevens' Statements During the Week of April 23

On critics of congressional earmarks

"I understand the Constitution. The people who are criticizing me don't. The Congress has the power of the purse. We created the Budget Act. That was intended to give the President a consolidated approach to making requests. If you look at the (President's) budget, it's nothing but a series of earmarks made by bureaucrats who have never been to Alaska." (4/25/07)

On his role in securing federal funding for Alaska

"My job is to see to it that if the rest of the country has programs that assist their economy, assist their people, that Alaskans have the same opportunity to enjoy those programs. That is why we created some of these things like the Denali Commission…We've done a lot with earmarks primarily to meet the needs that no one else knows about or cares about." (4/25/07)

On Alaska's role in developing coal resources

"(Alaskans) have not had a new coal operation for a long time. We are now proceeding with the coal gasification plant in Nikiski on the Kenai Peninsula. That will allow the company known as Agrium to produce fertilizer and ammonia and also clean diesel fuel. It is a project we're all looking forward to see if it will work. It is one of the alternative energy technologies currently being partially financed by the federal government. I really support that activity." (4/26/07)

On exploring alternative energy technologies
"Like many of the alternative energy technologies currently in development, no one single solution will solve the problem of meeting energy needs in a responsible manner. However, we should continue to explore the benefits clean coal can continue to offer our economy." (4/26/07)

On the Democrats' efforts to attach a timetable for troop withdrawal to the emergency supplemental spending bill
"We should get this to the President to get it signed, not get it to the President knowing full well it must be vetoed….Any president would veto this bill, and would have to veto this bill to maintain the stability of the constitutional processes as far as our national government is concerned."

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