Senate hearing schedule (Fall 1999)

 

Date

Hearing topic

 

Sept. 27

• Should emission & mileage standards for SUVs & light trucks be as stringent as for cars?

Sierra Club: Ms. Anne Hainley

Ford Motor Company: Ms. Kaitlyn Dudley

Friends of the Earth: Ms. Rebecca Reilly

Coalition for Vehicle Choice: Mr. Jason Ertel

Sept. 29

• Should the use of gasohol (10% ethanol/90% gasoline mixture) be required in cities which do not meet EPA clean air standards?

Shell Oil Corp: Mr. Michael Snow

EPA: Ms. Cassandra Stuart

Environmental Defense Fund: Ms. Alison Hepola

Oct. 1

• Should the federal gasoline tax be raised from $0.184 to $0.300/gallon to support mass transit in cities of over 100,000?

Dept. of Transportation: Ms. Jessica Raymond

NRDC: Mr. Patrick Dunnigan

Heritage Foundation: Mr. Joseph Camden

Environmental Defense Fund: Ms. Gina Cora

Public Purpose: Ms. Tona Boyd

Oct. 1

• Should methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT) be approved as an anti-knock agent in gasoline in the US?

Ethyl Corporation: Ms. Lauren Willoughby

EPA: Ms. Meaghan Donovan

British Petroleum: Mr. Jeffrey Eyerman

Union of Concerned Scientists: Mr. Nicholas Salazar

Greenpeace: Ms. Lisa Eakman

Oct. 1

• What emissions standards should be required of diesel vehicles?

EPA: Mr. Gregory Barry

Air Quality Standards Coalition: Mr. John Cannon

American Truckers Association: Mr. Michael Greenfield

American Lung Association: Mr. Andrew Lynch

Exxon-Mobile Corp: Ms. Cecilia Hadley

Each witness has three minutes to make a formal presentation, followed by about five minutes of questions and then a general question period. A panel of two to four Senators will direct each hearing and question the witnesses. After the hearing a secret ballot will be held on the bill.

  1. Find out your organization's position on the hearing topic and the counter-arguments that may be made by your opponents. Collect facts, quotes, and other support for your position. Prepare oral testimony. A good argument in favor of change needs to show three things: a) there is a problem inherent in the status quo, b) the problem is significantly harmful, and c) the proposed change will alleviate the problem. A good argument opposing a change needs to show that any of the three items above are false, or that the proposed change has disadvantages which outweigh its benefits. (6 hrs)
  2. Prepare 27 copies of a 1-page brief (you can use both sides of the page) to get your organization's point of view across. This is DUE IN THE CLASS PERIOD BEFORE YOUR HEARING (3 hr) I will make the xeroxes if you get the brief to me 1 day early (the day before class).
  3. Watch the videotape of your hearing, read the votes and feedback, and prepare a six page written critique of the arguments made in testimony and their impact on the vote. (8 hr) This paper should focus on the arguments which were made in the presentations for your panel hearing (you do not need to analyze the other hearings).