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GALLERY, THE SINGLE-MOST
IMPORTANT REASON THAT WE SHOULD
DO THIS IS OUR NATIONAL
SECURITY.
OUR NATIONAL SECURITY IS VITAL
TO THIS COUNTRY.
NOW LET ME JUST STOP AND POSE A
QUESTION TO YOU.
WHO CONTROLS TODAY OUR ACCESS
AND OUR COST OF ENERGY?
IT'S NOT US.
IN MANY CASES IT'S PEOPLE AROUND
THE WORLD THAT DON'T EVEN LIKE
US THAT CONTROL WHETHER WE'RE
GOING TO HAVE ACCESS TO OIL OR
WHAT THE COST IS GOING TO BE.
TODAY 70% OF OUR OIL IS
IMPORTED.
SO WE'VE GOT 30% THAT WE'VE GOT
SOME ABILITY TO CONTROL AND TO
ACCESS.
BUT 70% OF IT, WE'RE AT THE
WHIMS OF OTHER PEOPLE.
WE'RE AT THE WHIMS OF THE
MARKET.
YOU KNOW WHAT?
THEY DON'T LIKE US AND THEY
DON'T CARE WITH A WE PAY.
AND I MIGHT SAY, MR. PRESIDENT,
MANY OF THOSE COUNTRIES USE THE
DOLLARS WE SEND THEM TO FUND
TERRORISTS TO, FUND THE VERY
PEOPLE THAT WE RUN INTO ON THE
BATTLEFIELD IN AFGHANISTAN,
IRAQ, AND AROUND THE WORLD.
THEY AREN'T CONCERNED WITH OUR
ECONOMY.
THEY AREN'T CONCERNED WITH THE
FUTURE OF OUR COUNTRY OR THE
FUTURE OF OUR CHILDREN.
NOT A VERY COMFORTING SITUATION
TO RELY ON FOR OUR ENERGY,
ESPECIALLY WITH 70% RELIANCE ON
WHAT THEY HAVE.
LET ME SUGGEST THAT THIS
REQUIRES U.S. DOLLARS TO BE
SPENT AND U.S. LIVES TO BE PUT
ON THE LINE TO MAKE SURE THAT
DAY IN AND DAY OUT THIS COUNTRY
HAS ACCESS TO THAT 70% RELIANCE
ON BLACK GOLD.
LOOK AT THE GULF TODAY.
SHIPS, SAILORS, MARINES,
AIRCRAFT, ALL IN THE GULF TO
MAKE SURE THAT SOMEBODY DOESN'T
SHUT DOWN THE STRAITS OF HORMUZ,
TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT
ACCESS TO THAT OIL.
IT CERTAINLY DOESN'T CAP WHAT WE
PAY AT THE PUMP OR IN THE TAXES
THAT WE PAY TO ASSURE THAT WHEN
WE NEED IT, IT'S GOING TO BE
THERE.
SOME CLAIM THAT SPECULATORS ARE
THE WHOLE PROBLEM WITH THE OIL
INDUSTRY, AND I'LL ADMIT I THINK
AROUND THE EDGES A COUPLE CENTS
A GALLON, THAT SPECULATION,
FUTURES TRADERS PROBABLY DO HAVE
A LITTLE BIT OF IMPACT.
BUT, MR. PRESIDENT, IT'S NOT
SIGNIFICANT.
AND SPECULATORS DON'T CONTROL
OUR ACCESS TO IT, OUR RELIANCE
ON FOREIGN OIL IS WHAT JUDGES
WHETHER WE HAVE ACCESS TO IT OR
NOT.
WE MUST ADMIT THAT OUR ACCESS
TODAY IS A NATIONAL SECURITY
THREAT.
TWO, ECONOMIC SECURITY.
MR. PRESIDENT, YOU AND I KNOW A
WORD UP HERE IS CALLED LIHEAP.
IT'S THE LOW-INCOME HEATING
PROGRAM FOR SENIORS ACROSS THIS
COUNTRY, FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO
CAN'T AFFORD HOME HEATING OIL.
WE'RE GOING TO SPEND $5.1
BILLION THIS YEAR TO SUBSIDIZE
HOME HEATING FUEL.
THIS ENTIRE BILL, THE NAT GAS
BILL, WHICH IS A GAME CHANGER
RELATIVE TO THE COST OF NOT JUST
HOME HEATING FUEL, BUT DIESEL
AND GASOLINE, COSTS A LITTLE
OVER $3 BILLION AND THE
TAXPAYERS AREN'T ON THE HOOK FOR
ONE PENNY OF IT.
I'LL GET TO THAT A LITTLE BIT
LATER.
THE U.S. ECONOMY IS STARTING TO
RECOVER.
WE'VE SEEN SIGNS NOT IN EVERY
COMMUNITY AND NOT IN EVERY
SECTOR OF OUR ECONOMY, BUT WE
SEE SIGNS THAT IT'S MOVING IN
THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
BUT THERE'S ONE COMMON THREAD
THAT ALL ECONOMISTS AGREE ON.
IF ENERGY COSTS GOES UP, YOU
STAND THE CHANCE OF CUTTING OFF
THAT RECOVERY.
YOU STAND THE CHANCE OF FREEZING
OR INCREASING UNEMPLOYMENT AT
THE RATES THAT IT'S AT TODAY.
NOW HOW QUICKLY WE RECOVER, HOW
QUICKLY AMERICANS ARE HIRED, HOW
QUICKLY UNEMPLOYMENT GOES DOWN,
HOW THIS AFFECTS OUR BALANCE OF
TRADE, WE HAVEN'T EVEN TALKED
ABOUT THE INDIVIDUAL FAMILY
BUDGET.
THINK OF WHAT A TYPICAL FAMILY
IS FACED WITH TODAY, THE COST ON
A WEEKLY BASIS TO FILL THAT
VEHICLE UP.
MANY FAMILIES TODAY HAVE
ACCEPTED JOBS NOT CLOSE TO WHERE
THEY LIVE.
WHERE JOBS WERE AVAILABLE.
THEY DRIVE FROM ONE COMMUNITY TO
ANOTHER.
SOME DRIVE FROM ONE STATE TO
ANOTHER BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE
JOB WAS.
WE'VE HAD NO INCREASE IN WAGES.
WE ALL KNOW THAT.
BUT WE'VE SEEN FOOD PRICES AND
WE HAVE SEEN GAS PRICES AND
ENERGY PRICES GO UP.
HERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO
HAVE A REAL IMPACT ON THE FAMILY
BUDGET IN AMERICA WITHOUT
CHARGING THE AMERICAN PEOPLE ONE
PENNY TO HAVE US DO IT.
IN MY OPINION, MR. PRESIDENT, WE
SHOULD HAVE STARTED NEW
EXPLORATION DECADES AGO.
HAD WE SKHROERD FOR -- EXPLORED
FOR OIL AND NATURAL GAS ONSHORE,
OFFSHORE AND BUILT PIPELINES, WE
MIGHT NOT HAVE THIS PROBLEM
RIGHT NOW.
FOR THOSE THAT SAY WE SHOULDN'T
DO IT NOW BECAUSE IT'S TEN YEARS
DOWN THE ROAD BEFORE WE FEEL THE
EFFECTS, WE HAD THIS SAME DEBATE
10 YEARS AGO AND HAD IT 18 YEARS
AGO WHEN I GOT TO THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES.
TODAY WE'RE STILL TALKING ABOUT
THE SAME THING.
THE ONLY THING THAT'S CHANGED IS
THE PRICE OF ENERGY IN AMERICA.
I BELIEVE WE OUGHT TO FOCUS ON
AMERICA, NORTH AMERICA, AND WE
OUGHT TO TAP THOSE RESOURCES IN
A SAFE AND ENVIRONMENTALLY
FRIENDLY WAY, WHICH IS IN FACT
WE'RE TECHNOLOGY ALLOWS US TO GO
TODAY.
MY THIRD GOAL TO THIS BILL IS
ENERGY SECURITY TH-FPLT YEAR WE
VOTED AGAINST PIPELINES.
THEY WOULD HAVE PROVIDED SOME
SECURITY.
WE'VE REDUCED SOME FORM OF
DEMAND, NOT MUCH.
TODAY WE'RE REDUCING
EXPLORATION.
WE'RE NOT INCREASING EXPLORATION
HERE AT HOME.
AND WHO PAYS THE BILL?
THE AMERICAN PEOPLE.
IT'S REAL SIMPLE.
IT'S JUST PASS THROUGH AND
PRETTY SOON WE GET USED TO
$3.76, WHICH IS THE NATIONAL
AVERAGE.
IN SOME PLACES IN THE COUNTRY
IT'S OVER $4.
BUT -- THREE YEARS AGO $1.86.
I WAS RATINGED AS THE SEVEN -I
WAS RATED AS THE SEVENTH MOST
CONSERVATIVE MEMBER OF THE
UNITED STATES SENATE.
THIS YEAR I BOUGHT A HYBRID.
I BOUGHT A HYBRID BECAUSE I WAS
TIRED OF PAYING PEOPLE MONEY
THAT HATE US.
I WAS TIRED OF PAYING AN
EXORBITANT AMOUNT FOR GASOLINE.
I PERSONALLY WOULD DO ANYTHING
THAT I COULD TO MAKE SURE I
REDUCE MY CONSUMPTION AND MY
COSTS.
BUT THE ONLY WAY I CAN AFFECT
EVERY AMERICAN FAMILY IS TO COME
ON THIS FLOOR AND TO CHANGE THE
POLICIES THAT WE HAVE IN THIS
COUNTRY IN A WAY THAT NOBODY IS
SLIGHTED, NOBODY IS CHEATED.
NOBODY LOSES.
YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY SAID THIS
BILL PICKS WINNERS AND LOSERS.
WELL, I'VE GOT TO ADMIT IT DOES.
THE WINNERS ARE THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE AND THE LOSERS ARE
EVERYBODY INTERNATIONALLY THAT
PRODUCES OIL.
I THINK THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD
PICK.
WELL, LET ME SUGGEST TO YOU,
MR. PRESIDENT, THIS MUST STOP.
IT MUST STOP.
MY SUGGESTION IS THAT IT SHOULD
STOP TOMORROW WHEN WE VOTE ON
THIS AMENDMENT.
WE NEED AN ENERGY PLAN.
WE SHOULD EXPLORE.
WE SHOULD BUILD PIPELINES.
IF WE DID, DOWN THE ROAD, WE'D
BENEFIT.
YOU MIGHT THINK WELL ALL OF THIS
IS AN ACCURATE DEPICTIONS OF
WHERE WE ARE.
WHAT WOULD A NATURAL GAS BILL DO
TO CHANGE OUR SITUATION?
LET ME SUGGEST TO YOU IT'S ABOUT
OUR MOST ABUNDANT CLEAN,
FLEXIBLE FUEL.
YOU KNOW WHAT?
IT'S AMERICAN.
IT'S FOUND RIGHT HERE AT HOME.
WHY WOULDN'T WE USE AS MUCH AS
POSSIBLE?
OH, BY THE WAY, DID I SAY IT'S
CHEAP?
IF YOU LOOK AT NATURAL GAS AS AN
EKWEUF THRAOPBT A GALLON --
EQUIVALENT TO A GALLON OF
GASOLINE.
NATURAL GAS IS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN
$1.60 AND $2.10 AT TODAY'S
RATES.
IMAGINE WHERE DIESEL IS.
IMAGINE WHERE HOME HEATING OIL
IS.
WHY?
BECAUSE TECHNOLOGY HAS ALLOWED
US TO REACH RESERVES THAT WE
COULD NEVER REACH BEFORE.
IT'S ALLOWED US TO DO IT
ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY.
IT'S ALLOWED US TO DO IT AT A
PRETTY ATTRACTIVE PRODUCTION
COST.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, THE WORD IN
THE WORLD IS THE UNITED STATES
IS THE SAUDI ARABIA OF NATURAL
GAS.
BUT NOBODY LOOKS AT US AND SAYS
YOU'RE CONTROLLING OUR ACCESS
BECAUSE WE CAN'T EVEN FIGURE OUT
WHAT OUR POLICY IS GOING TO BE.
NOW, LET ME JUST SUGGEST TO YOU
THAT I THINK THE PRESIDENT --
MR. PRESIDENT KNOWS THIS.
IF WE PRODUCE MORE THAN WE
CONSUME, THEN WE WILL
AGGRESSIVELY BUILD AN
INFRASTRUCTURE TO SHIP IT ALL
AROUND THE WORLD.
BUT IF WE CONSUME WHAT WE
PRODUCE, THERE WILL BE AN EFFORT
TO PRODUCE MORE AND TO PRODUCE
MORE AND TO PRODUCE MORE, AND
WHEN THAT HAPPENS, TYPICALLY THE
PRICE GOES DOWN.
SO I GUESS THE QUESTION IN FRONT
OF THIS BODY IS ARE WE GOING TO
USE IT FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE
AMERICAN PEOPLE OR ARE WE GOING
TO SHIP IT TO THE REST OF THE
WORLD?
NOW, SOME IN CONGRESS WILL TELL
YOU THAT SHIFTING NATURAL GAS
USAGE THROUGH FEDERAL
LEGISLATION SHOULDN'T BE DONE.
LET ME BE CLEAR.
I AGREE 100%.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS NOT
THE ONE THAT SHOULD BE
LEGISLATING HOW MARKETS GO.
BUT WHEN I CONSIDER THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT, WE'RE SPEAKING FOR
THE AMERICAN TAXPAYER, BECAUSE
USUALLY THEY ARE THE ONES THAT
ARE THE BACKUP FUNDER OF
EVERYTHING THAT WE PASS.
THIS BILL DOESN'T DO IT.
THIS BILL IS A FIVE-YEAR BILL
AND IT SUNSETS.
IT GOES AWAY.
AND IT FUNDS THE ROUGHLY
$3.4 BILLION WITH A USER FEE ON
THE EXACT PEOPLE THAT ARE
BENEFITED BY IT.
THOSE NATURAL GAS USERS.
YOU SEE, THE AMERICAN TAXPAYER
HAS NO SKIN IN THIS GAME.
THEY ALL SAY THAT THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT, THE AMERICAN
TAXPAYERS, SHOULDN'T FUND ANY
NEW TAX CREDITS OR SUBSIDIES.
I AGREE.
THESE ARE THE TWO CRITICISMS
THAT THIS BILL HAS RECEIVED.
I AGREE WITH THEM TOTALLY.
READ THE BILL.
THAT'S NOT WHAT WE DO.
WE FUND IT FROM THE PEOPLE THAT
BENEFIT FROM THE CREDITS AND
FROM THE SUBSIDIES.
NOW, YOU MIGHT ASK WHERE DO WE
DISAGREE?
POLICY CAN AND I THINK IT SHOULD
ACCELERATE THE USAGE OF NATURAL
GAS.
SOME HAVE SAID THAT THERE IS NO
NEED TO DO THIS.
IT'S HAPPENING ALL BY ITSELF.
I AGREE.
ANOTHER POINT OF AGREEMENT.
IT IS HAPPENING EVERY DAY IN
COMMUNITIES ACROSS THIS COUNTRY.
AND TEN YEARS FROM NOW, WE MIGHT
LOOK BACK ON IT AND WE MIGHT
HAVE MADE A LITTLE PROGRESS.
WE HAVE GOT AN OPPORTUNITY RIGHT
NOW WITHOUT TAXPAYER FUNDING TO
ACCELERATE THIS MOVE IN 18-WHEEL
VEHICLES, IN FLEET VEHICLES, IN
MUNICIPAL TRUCKS AND
AUTOMOBILES.
SO I THINK THAT WE CAN AND I
THINK THAT WE SHOULD ACCELERATE
IT.
AGAIN, NATURAL GAS IS THE ONLY
FLEXIBLE MOBILE FUEL WE HAVE.
IT'S NOT LIKE THERE ARE OTHER
OPTIONS OUT THERE THAT WE CAN
ACCOMPLISH THIS WITH.
I BELIEVE THAT IF CREDITS OR
SUBSIDIES ARE PAID FOR BY THE
USERS, THOSE THAT BENEFIT, THAT
THIS IS A GOOD THING AND IT IS
GOOD POLICY.
THINK ABOUT IT FOR A MOMENT.
IF YOU TOOK ALL OF YOUR 18-WHEEL
VEHICLES IN AMERICA AND YOU PUT
THEM ON NATURAL GAS, YOU WOULD
REDUES CUMMINGS OF FOREIGN OIL
BY ONE-THIRD.
DO YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW TO BRING
DOWN THE PRICE OF GASOLINE AND
DIESEL?
THERE IT IS.
TAKE ONE-THIRD OF THE DEMAND AND
SHIFT IT OVER TO NATURAL GAS.
FLEET VEHICLES TODAY, COMPANIES,
FEDEX, U.P.S., I CAN SORT OF
NAME ALL OF THEM, THE IN AND OUT
EVERY DAY.
THEY GO OUT IN THE MORNING, THEY
COME BACK IN THE AFTERNOON, THEY
HAVE ONE FUELING STATION AND
THEY ARE RUNNING TO GO TO
NATURAL GAS.
THEY DON'T NEED THE INCENTIVE,
BUT LOOK HOW FAST THEY COULD
TAKE THEIR ENTIRE FLEET IF IT
WAS THERE.
AGAIN, WITHOUT ONE PENNY OF
TAXPAYER MONEY.
MUNICIPALITIES.
THERE IS NOT A MUNICIPALITY IN