mr. speaker , i thank the gentleman from massachusetts ( mr. mcgovern ) xz4002630 for yielding me this time . 
this is a bad bill . 
it is a bad rule , unfair ; and the procedure is unfair and bad . 
the rule does not allow an amendment that i submitted with the gentleman from new york ( mr. boehlert ) xz4000350 and the gentleman from new mexico ( mr. udall ) xz4004122 , which related to the outrageous hydroelectric relicensing provisions in the bill ; nor does it allow an amendment by the gentlewoman from california ( mrs. capps ) xz4000620 to strike the unjustified and unjustifiable gifts to the producers of mtbe . 
and last of all , it denies the gentleman from michigan ( mr. stupak ) xz4003910 the right to offer an amendment to stop natural gas and oil companies from drilling in the great lakes . 
i tried to fix the hydroelectric section of this bill , which creates new rights and procedures for the licensing of dams that generate electricity from our rivers . 
it gives these rights only to one group of people , the electrical utilities . 
others who have legitimate concerns , the cities , the sportsmen , the states , the indian tribes , the conservationists , the irrigators , farmers or ranchers are not afforded that same right , a grotesquely unfair procedure . 
the bill also allows utilities alone to propose alternatives to the resource provisions recommended by the secretaries of the interior , agriculture or commerce , that must , must be accepted if they meet certain criteria . 
again , none of the legitimate other parties to the procedures are given this right . 
this is grotesquely unfair . 
the rivers produce power . 
they are public resources , not the playthings of private utilities . 
the amendment we submitted would have corrected a number of the most egregious abuses unless in this section we apply the new rights to all parties in equal fashion . 
but by not allowing this amendment , that is foreclosed . 
the bill also forecloses a vote on the billions of dollars bestowed in this bill to producers of mtbe . 
again , a grotesquely and unfair and unwise proposal . 
finally , the gentleman from michigan ( mr. stupak ) xz4003910 sought to offer a simple , straightforward amendment prohibiting any state or federal permit to lease for new oil and gas drilling in or under the great lakes , one of the great treasures , 20 percent of the water in the world , the free fresh water which is so important to us . 
are we being allowed to debate and vote on this amendment which would inconvenience powerful oil and gas producers ? 
the answer to that is no . 
i urge my colleagues to reject this rule . 
i urge my colleagues to see to it that we teach the rules committee that their function is to facilitate debate , not to deny members the opportunity to discuss matters of importance on this floor . 
this is the people 's house , not the residents of a group of special interests , but it gives every appearance of that . 
it rather smells that way . 
