Senator Craig Thomas Discusses Bush Energy Plan
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: If you're traveling, you're paying higher gas prices. People are looking at the big energy picture for the summer as they think about their plans. Well, obviously, what's at stake now in this power shift on Capitol Hill is what's going to happen to President Bush's long-range energy plan and the power shift there. So joining us this morning is Senator Craig Thomas of Wyoming. He is the senior senator from that state. And he is also a member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. Good morning, Senator.</s>SEN. CRAIG THOMAS (R), WYOMING: Good morning.</s>LIN: Well, I imagine you were in this two-hour caucus meeting yesterday with moderate and conservative Republicans. It was described to me as a frank and open discussion, which I think is a code word for possibly that all hell broke loose.</s>THOMAS: Well, no. I think there was real self-examination of the party. You know, how do you take 50 people, each of whom has their own ideas, 45 of them have pretty much consensus on the point of view. Some others do not. How do you put that together and recognize everyone? We reviewed that. And I think we can probably do a better job than we've done in the past.</s>LIN: Well, how do you do that when it comes to the energy policy of the country, when the Democrats and the Republicans have already had open debate over more conservation vs. more oil drilling?</s>THOMAS: Well, you know, part of that's been a political thing. When it comes right down to dealing with the issue, we have to have more energy, we have to have more production, we have to have more available at a lower price to everyone in this country. At the same time, you have to be conscious of conservation and of the environment. And you can do these things. We've had some outside pressures that try to build the notion that if you drill or explore on public lands, you ruin it. That's not the case. You can have multiple use. And we'll again find some middle ground and move forward, I'm sure.</s>LIN: Well, where is the middle ground on an issue that is very close to your home state? I was surprised to learn that half of your state is actually owned by the federal government -- half of the state...</s>THOMAS: Right.</s>LIN: ... of Wyoming is federal land. You are for more, what's been called multiple use of federal lands, which may include oil drilling, if I'm not mistaken. So how does that sentiment pass through this committee, then?</s>THOMAS: Well, I think, first of all, you have to understand that out of that 50 percent, there are several different kinds of public lands. There's national parks. There's wilderness. Those things are not going to be used for multiple use. There are special uses. We will not have oil wells on those. On the other hand, much of it, the majority of it is BLM-managed lands. And it is for multiple use. So we have to find a way and we have a way where you can explore and produce without doing lasting damage to the land. So you can have hunting. You can have fishing. You can have hiking. And you can have production of coal and minerals at the same time. We've shown that you can do this.</s>LIN: So what is the committee -- both Democrats and the Republicans on the Energy Committee -- what's going to come out of the committee? What's going to survive of Bush's energy plan?</s>THOMAS: Well, as you know, the administration, Dick Cheney and President Bush have a plan. So does our chairman, who's now our chairman, Frank Murkowski. And the incoming chairman, Jeff Bingaman, also has a bill. So there are three points of view out there. The administration and the Murkowski plan are fairly close. And, frankly, Jeff Bingaman's isn't that far away. We're going to have to put a little more emphasis on the environment, a little more emphasis on conservation, perhaps a little more emphasis on renewables. But the fact is, the basic thrust is going to be to improve some production and generation so that we can meet the needs of the American people.</s>LIN: Well, now the emphasis in Washington seems to be changed. Do you still have confidence in Republican leader, Senator Trent Lott?</s>THOMAS: Oh, yes, I do. And we're going to go forward. Look, the vote now is 50-49 and one. So you can see how close they've been in the past. The big difference is going to be setting the agenda by the Democrats. But in terms of going forward, there's a Republican president, there's a Republican majority in the House, and there's one short of a majority in the Senate. So the direction the president has pointed us is not over, nor changing.</s>LIN: All right, thank you very much Senator Craig Thomas...</s>THOMAS: My pleasure.</s>LIN: ... from Wyoming -- Republican. We are going to, just minutes from now, talk with Senator Jeff Bingaman. He is the Democrat who is expected to become chairman of the Energy Committee. And Democratic Senator Tom Daschle, who is expected to become the Senate majority leader, will be a guest on "WOLF BLITZER REPORTS" at 8:00 Eastern tonight on CNN.