mr. speaker , i oppose this rule . 
i wanted to offer an amendment to remove the bill 's special protection for mtbe manufacturers , but with this rule , the house is deprived of that vote . 
the republican leadership knows it could well lose a vote on such amendment . 
mtbe is responsible , after all , for polluting groundwater in hundreds of communities . 
cleanup costs are estimated in the billions . 
currently , mtbe manufacturers are being held accountable in court , but this bill gives them safe harbor . 
many of us have water districts or towns with lawsuits against mtbe manufacturers that will be voided under this bill . 
for example , the gentleman from new jersey ( mr. ferguson ) xz4001320 , the gentleman from new jersey ( mr. garrett ) xz4001450 and the gentleman from new jersey ( mr. frelinghuysen ) xz4001420 ; and from connecticut , the gentlewoman from connecticut ( mrs. johnson ) xz4002041 and the gentleman from connecticut ( mr. simmons ) xz4003750 ; and from my home state , the gentleman from california ( mr. herger ) xz4001760 , the gentleman from california ( mr. doolittle ) xz4001130 , the gentleman from california ( mr. pombo ) xz4003220 , the gentleman from california ( mr. cardoza ) xz4000650 , the gentleman from california ( mr. nunes ) xz4002970 , the gentleman from california ( mr. thomas ) xz4004010 , the gentleman from california ( mr. gallegly ) xz4001440 , the gentleman from california ( mr. mckeon ) xz4002670 , the gentleman from california ( mr. gary miller ) xz4002770 , the gentleman from california ( mr. calvert ) xz4000570 , and the gentleman from california ( mr. cox ) xz4000830 . 
just examples , all with pending lawsuits from a few of the 29 states being polluted with this mtbe in the groundwater . 
the special protection in this bill for mtbe manufacturers is completely unwarranted . 
it will cost our constituents a fortune . 
this is an unfair rule , and we should vote it down . 
