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CALL:
THE
SENATOR FROM ILLINOIS.
I ASK THE QUORUM
CALL BE SUSPENDED.
WITHOUT
OBJECTION.
I ASK TO SPEAK IN
MORNING BUSINESS.
OBJECTION.
THERE ARE LIFE
EXPERIENCES THAT DEPEND ON WHERE
YOU GREW UP.
IN MY PART OF THE WORLD, THE
MIDWEST THERE WAS A RITE OF
PASSAGE THAT SEEMED SO
IT.
IT WAS THE AIR RAID SIREN COMING
OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT
AND YOUR DAD SAYING WE'VE GOT TO
GO INTO THE BASEMENT, THERE'S A
TORNADO WARNING.
THAT WAS PART OF MY LIFE AND I
DIDN'T THINK TWICE ABOUT IT.
IT HAPPENED EVERY YEAR.
SOMETIMES NOT IN THE MIDDLE OF
THE NIGHT, SOMETIMES IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE DAY.
BUT WE BECAME ACCUSTOMED TO IT
BECAUSE THAT WAS WHAT HAPPENED
WHERE WE LIVE.
WHEN I WAS ELECTED TO CONGRESS
AND THEN TO THE SENATE, I SPENT
MY TIME VISITING LOCATIONS WHERE
TORNADOES HAD STRUCK.
ALL OVER MY STATE.
SO I'VE SEEN MY FAIR SHARE OF
TORNADO DAMAGE IN THE MIDWEST.
BUT I HAVE TO TELL YOU WHAT I
SAW ON SATURDAY WAS
EXTRAORDINARY.
I WENT TO SOUTHERN ILLINOIS TO
TWO TOWNS, HARRISBURG AND
RIDGWAY.
THEY WERE HIT THE PREVIOUS
WEDNESDAY BY WHAT IS KNOWN AS A
STAGE 4 TORNADO.
STAGE 4 TORNADO IS A TORNADO
WITH WINDS UP TO 175 MILES PER
HOUR.
THAT IS A TORNADO SO VIOLENT
THAT THE WINDS FROM WHAT I'M
TOLD WERE EVEN GREATER THAN
HURRICANE CREANT AND -- KATRINA
AND HIT THIS TINY TOWN IN
SOUTHERN ILLINOIS AND I LOOKED
AT THE DEVASTATION AFTERWARDS.
YOU EXPECT OBVIOUS CASUALTIES IN
YOU EXPECT TO SEE THE TREES
BLOWN DOWN, THE SIDING OFF THE
AND THE SHINGLES TORN OFF
THE ROOF.
IN.
YOU LOOK AT THIS POOR MOBILE
HOMES WHICH DON'T HAVE A CHANCE
IN A TORNADO AND THEY'RE USUALLY
RIPPED AND THROWN.
BUT IN THIS TORNADO, HOUSES
THAT WERE BUILT ON A SLAB WERE
LIFTED OFF AND TOSSED IN THE
AIR.
I MET A LADY WHO WAS DRIVING
AWAY FROM THE DEVASTATION OF HER
HOME -- INCIDENTALLY, THESE
PHOTOS HERE ARE FAIRLY
INDICATIVE OF WHAT WE SAW IN THE
DEVASTATION THERE.
EXPERIENCE.
AND IT TURNED OUT THAT SHE WAS
REALLY LUCKY BECAUSE SHE HAD SET
THE ALARM FOR A QUARTER TO
5:00 TO TO GO TO WORK THAT
MORNING AND SHE SAID SHE GOT UP
AND STARTED GETTING READY AND
THEN HEARD THE SIRENS OUTSIDE.
SHE SAID I WENT TO THE
BATHROOM, GOT DOWN, MY FACE
FIRST ON THE FLOOR, AND GRABBED
THE SINK TO HANG ONTO IT AND SHE
SAID SECONDS PASSED BEFORE THE
CEILING CAVED IN ON TOP OF ME.
LUCKILY, SHE SAID IT DIDN'T
REACH ME, I WAS PINNED
UNDERNEATH AND I WAITED AND
WAITED AND FINALLY, 15, 20
MINUTES LATER SOMEBODY STARTED
HOLLERING IS ANYBODY IN THERE.
I STARTED HOLLERING BACK.
THEY SAID KEEP TALKING, WE'RE
GOING TO GET TO YOU.
TOOK THEM AN HOUR AND A HALF TO
ARE BRING HER OUT OF THE
WRECKAGE AND SHE SCAIPPED WITH A
FEW SCRATCHES AND BRUISED.
SHE WAS ONE OF THE LUCKY ONES.
IT TURNED OUT TWO OF THE HOMES
ACROSS THE STREET HAD BEEN BLOWN
ON TOP OF HERS.
TURNED OUT ACROSS THE STREET A
22-YEAR-OLD NURSE AT THE LOCAL
HOSPITAL HAD BEEN KILLED BY THAT
SAME TORNADO.
I HAD NEVER SEEN THIS KIND OF
TORNADO IN THIS KIND OF DAMAGE
IN MY LIFE.
I'M TOLD IT HAPPENED ONE TIME
BEFORE, IN THE HISTORY OF OUR
STATE.
I ALSO HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT THE
RESPONSE OF THE PEOPLE THERE WAS
WHAT MAKES ME PROUD TO BE FROM
THAT STATE, AND TO BE PART OF
THIS GREAT NATION.
FROM THE VERY MINUTE THAT THIS
DEVASTATION TOOK PLACE, PEOPLE
STARTED COMING TOWARD THE
DEVASTATION TO TRY TO HELP.
THERE WAS SOME AMAZING STORIES.
THE VOLUNTEERS THAT HELPED THIS
LADY OUT OF HER -- THE DEBRIS OF
AT THE NEARBY COAL
MINE, THEY HAVE A RESCUE TEAM
THAT IS SENT IN WHEN THERE'S
DANGER OF A MINE DISASTER.
THEY'VE GOT HARD HATS AND
BREATHING EQUIPMENT AND ALL THE
RIGHT EXTRICATION DEVICES AND
TOOLS.
THEY CAME RUSHING TO THE SCENE,
COAL DUST ALL OVER THEIR FACES,
DIGGING RIGHT INTO THE WRECKAGE
PULLING PEOPLE OUT.
THAT STORY WAS REPEATED OVER AND
OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
THE HEROISM AND VOLUNTEERISM
DIDN'T END THAT DAY.
IT CONTINUED ALL THROUGH THE
TIME I WAS THERE AND EVEN TO
THIS DAY.
A SPECIAL KUDOS TO THE AMERICAN
RED CROSS, ALWAYS FIRST ON THE
SCENE, ALWAYS PERFORMING A
VALUABLE AND IMPORTANT JOB AS
THEY DID IN SOUTHERN ILLINOIS.
I WENT OVER TO RIDGWAY, WHICH
IS A TOWN 24 MILES AWAY, AND
FOR SOME REASON, THIS GOD-AWFUL
TORNADO SKIPPED FROM HARRISBURG
TO RIDGWAY AND DID LITTLE DAMAGE
IN BETWEEN.
BUT IT LIT DOWN AGAIN IN RIDGWAY
AND RIPPED THROUGH THAT TOWN.
ABOUT 400 HOMES WERE DAMAGED IN
HARRISBURG ROUGHLY, AND OVER A
HUNDRED IN RIDGWAY.
SOME OF THE SCENES THAT I SAW
THERE WERE AMAZING.
THERE'S A CATHOLIC CHURCH
THERE, THAT WAS 100 YEARS OLD.
IT WAS THE MOST -- STURDIEST
STRUCTURE IN TOWN BY FAR.
HAD PEOPLE BEEN GIVEN ENOUGH
NOTICE, HAPPENED EARLY IN THE
MORNING ABOUT 5:00 A.M., THEY
MIGHT HAVE SAID THE SAFEST PLACE
IS THE CHURCH.
WELL, THE CHURCH IS GONE.
TWO THINGS ARE LEFT.
A DOORWAY FOR THE CHURCH AND THE
ALTAR.
EVERYTHING ELSE HAS BEEN
OBLITERATED.
A LOT OF PICTURES TAKEN BY
PEOPLE OF THAT ALTAR STILL
STANDING IN THE RUBBLE, NOT
INOPERATION TO -- AN
INSPIRATION TO MANY, PERHAPS A
MESSAGE THERE WERE CERTAIN
THINGS SPARED EVEN IN THE WORST
DISASTERS.
THIS THAT TOWN, TOO, AT THE
FIRE DEPARTMENT, MET WITH THE
MAYOR AND ALL THE VOLUNTEERS AND
THING ONE THING -- THE ONE
THING ABOUT BEING A VOLUNTEER
AFTER A DISASTER, I GUARANTEE
YOU WON'T LOSE WEIGHT.
EVERYBODY BROUGHT IN THE FOOD.
ALL KINDS OF FOOD FROM EVERY
PIES AND TAKES AND
CHILI AND HOT DOGS, A FELLOW
CAME BY, HAD HIS BARBECUE
OPERATION SET UP.
A HUGE OPERATION, AND HE WAS
JUST COOKING LIKE CRAZY.
BUT IT WAS AN INDICATION THAT
EVERYBODY WANTED TO BE PITCHING
IN TO HELP.
SO I WANT TO THANK ALL THOSE
ENGAGED IN THE RESCUE AND
CLEANUP WORK AT EVERY LEVEL.
THE ILLINOIS EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT AGENT UNDER GOVERNOR
PAT QUINN, THE GOVERNOR HAS
BEEN THERE TWICE, JOHN MONKEN,
THE DIRECTOR OF THE AGENCY,
ACCOMPANIED ME ON THIS TRIP.
THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, THE LOCAL
DISASTER AGENCY PEOPLE, ALL THE
VOLUNTEERS, THE RED CROSS, A
GROUP CALLED OPERATION
BLESSING, WHICH SHOWED UP --
I'D NEVER HEARD OF THEM BEFORE.
THOUGH.
DO.
THEY CAME IN AND SAID EVERY
RELIGIOUS GROUP OR VOLUME TIRE
GROUP, COME CHECK WITH US.
WE'LL SEND TO YOU A PLACE YOU
MIGHT BE NEEDED.
AS I WALKED THROUGH THE WRECKAGE
WERE VOLUNTEERS OF EVERY
AGE FROM LITTLE KIDS TO ELDERLY
FOLKS WITH RAKES IN THEIR HANDS
PICKING UP TRASH AND GETTIT I
T SE A TINGT
EO LE'ES BAC TR
THRESCO OF VUNSTEUS
YE PUDRE THAT
EAT STE PPLE
VI IN IT.ERAL
TERAFOWN WATCH T PCES GO
UP IN LOCK STEP DAY AFTER DAY,
WEEK AFTER WEEK.
THERE ARE THOSE WHO THINK
THEY'VE GOT A GOOD, QUICK, EASY
ANSWER AND CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY
THE REST OF THE WORLD ISN'T
CHEERING THEM ON.
THEY WANT TO DRILL THEIR WAY OUT
OF THIS SITUATION.
THEY BELIEVE THAT IF WE FIND
ENOUGH OIL IN AMERICA, GASOLINE
PRICES WILL COME DOWN AND WE'RE
GOING TO FIND OURSELVES
OIL-INDEPENDENT.
BY LAST MEASURE, THE UNITED
STATES HAS ABOUT 3% OF THE
WORLD'S RESERVE OF PETROLEUM.
WE CONSUME EACH YEAR 25%.
DRILLING OUR WAY OUT OF THIS IS
PHYSICALLY IMPOSSIBLE.
YET THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE
SHOULDN'T LOOK FOR NEW,
ENVIRONMENTALLY RESPONSIBLE AND
SAFE SOURCES FOR OIL.
HERE'S THE RECORD.
DOMESTIC OIL PRODUCTION IN
AMERICA IS AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL
IN EIGHT YEARS.
YOU'D NEVER BELIEVE IT HEARING
SPEECHES FROM OTHER SIDE OF THE
IN 2011U.S. CRUDE OIL PRODUCTION
REACHED ITSZ HIGHEST LEVEL SINCE
2003 AND WE'RE NOW DRILLING MORE
THAN EVER BEFORE.
THE 234U789 NUMBER OF OIL-DRILLING RIGS
SAT A RECORD HIGH QUADRUPLED
DURING THE LAST YEARS OF THE
OBAMA ADMINISTRATION.
THE U.S. NOW HAS MORE RIGS AT
WORK THAN THE REST OF THE WORLD
COMBINED.
LET ME REPEAT THAT.
BETWEEN OIL AND GAS DRILLING
RIGS, THE UNITED STATES GNAW WHO NOW HAS
RIGS AT WORK THAN THE REST
OF THE WORLD COMBINED.
THOSE WHO ARE SAYING THERE IS
LACK OF EFFORT DON'T NOTE
OBVIOUSMENT WE KEEP ADDING MORE.
THE ADMINISTRATION ANNOUNCED NEW
OFFSHORE OIL AND GAS DEVELOPMENT
PROGRAM.
THEY WANT D.O.D. IT CAREFULLY
YOU AFTER THE B.P. SPILL OF TWO
YEARS AGO.
BUT IT WILL OPEN UP MORE THAN
75% OF OUR POTENTIAL OFFSHORE
OIL AND GAS RESOURCES.
LAST YEAR AMERICANS RELIED ON --
LESS ON FOREIGN OIL THAN ANY
TIME IN THE PAST 16 YEARS.
EVEN THE AMERICAN PETROLEUM
INSTITUTE AGREES THAT AMERICAN
PRODUCERS AND REFINERS ARE
PRODUCING MORE OIL AND REDUCING
OUR RELIANCE ON IMPORTS.
THE AMERICAN PETROLEUM INSTITUTE
HAS SAID THAT WITHOUT THESE TWO
FACTORS, TODAY'S PRICES MIGHT BE
EVEN HIGHER.
WE SIMPLY CANNOT DRILL OUR WAY
TO LOWER GASOLINE PRICES.
THE PRESIDENT HAS PROPOSED AN
APPROACH TO THIS THAT IS
BALANCED AND IT'S AN APPROACH
WITH A VISION.
IT GETS BEYOND A PRESS RELEASE
OF THE MOMENT OR PRESIDENTIAL
CAMPAIGN RHETORIC.
THE PRESIDENT RECENTLY ANNOUNCED
NEW FUEL EFFICIENCY STANDARDS
FOR CARS AND LIGHT-DUTY TRUCKS
THAT WILL SERVE AMERICANS $1.7
TRILLION AND REDUCE OIL
CONSUMPTION BY 2.2 MILLION
BARRELS A DAY BY 2025.
MR. PRESIDENT, MY WIFE AND I
DRIVE A FORD FUSION HYBRID.
I LOOKED AT CONSUMER REPORTS.
IT'S STILL RATED VERY HIGHLY.
WE GET OVER 30 MILES A GALLON.
THE PRIUS DOES EVEN BETTER, MORE
THAN 40 MILES A GALLON.
I CAN TELL YOU, I DON'T BELIEVE
OUR FAMILY MAKES ANY SACRIFICE
WHEN IT COMES TO COMFORT AND
SAFETY WHEN DRIVING THIS FORD.
THE ADMINISTRATION HAS ALSO
FINALIZED THE FIRST-EVER
NATIONAL FUEL EFFICIENCY
STANDARDS FOR HEAVY-DUTY TRUCKS,
VANS, AND BUSES.
THAT'LL REDUCE OIL CONSUMPTION
BY OVER 500 MILLION BARRELS.
THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY WILL
MAKE $30 MILLION AVAILABLE FOR
NEW RESEARCH COMPETITION TO FIND
OUR ABUNDANT
SUPPLIES OF NATURAL GAS FOR
VEHICLES, TOO.
THERE IS NO MAGIC BULLET THAT
CAN BRING AMERICANS LOWER GAS
PRICES.
NOT DRILL BABY DRILL AND NOT THE
KEYSTONE X.L. PIPELINE IN AND OF
SENATOR HUTCHISON STATED THAT
THE KEYSTONE X.L. PIPELINE WOULD
TRANSPORT 830 BARRELS OF CRUDE
OIL TO REFINERIES IN KANSAS AND
THAT AISLE WOULD PROVIDE
AMERICANS WITH 34 MILLION
GALLONS OF GAS A STAY.
HER STATEMENT DOESN'T QUITE
MATCH UP WITH THE TESTIMONY OF
THE OIL COMPANIES.
CANG DISAOIL PRODUCTION USES
LESS THAN HALF OF ITS CURRENT
STATES.
THERE'S PLENTY OF ROOM FOR
CANADA TO SHIP MORE RIGHT NOW
WITHOUT A NEW PIPELINE.
EXISTING PIPELINE CAPACITY WOULD
ALLOW FOR 4.2 MILLION BARRELS A
DAY OF CRUDE OIL TO BE
TRANSPORTED FROM CANADA TO THE
U.S.
HOWEVER, IN 2010, CANADA
EXPORTED LESS THAN HALF OF THAT,
1.9 MILLION BARRELS A DAY, WITH
EXISTING PIPELINES.
EVEN DOUBLING CANADA'S CURRENT
PRODUCTION LEVELS WOULD NOT FILL
THE KEYSTONE X.L. PIPELINE OR
BRING AN ADDITIONAL 830,000
BARRELS A DAY TO GULF REFINERIES
IN THE TEXAS REGION.
830,000 BARRELS OF CRUDE SUMLY
CAN'T PRODUCE 34 MILLION GALLONS
OF GASOLINE.
EVEN THE BEST REFINERIES COULD
PRODUCE ONLY ABOUT HALF THAT
AMOUNT OF GASOLINE.
I MIGHT ALSO ADD, MR. PRESIDENT,
THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS
TROUBLING TO SOME OF US IS WHEN
THE TRANS-CANADA COMPANY WAS
ASKED IN A HEARING IN THE HOUSE
BY CONGRESSMAN I.D. MARKEY OF
MASSACHUSETTS WHETHER THE OIL
COMING DOWN FROM CANADA IN THE
KEYSTONE X.L. PIPELINE WOULD BE
USED FOR DOMESTIC CONSUMPTION IN
THE UNITED STATES, HE SAID HE
COULDN'T MAKE THAT PROMISE.
SO THIS ARGUMENT THAT THIS
PIPELINE IS GOING TO REDUCE GAS
PRICES, FIRST, THAT PIPELINE IS
IN THE FUTURE.
SECOND, THERE'S EXISTING
PIPELINE CAPACITY THAT'S UNUSED.
AND, THIRD, THE COMPANY THAT'S
TRANSPORTING IT, WILL MAKE NO
PROMISE THAT IT BE USED IN THE
UNITED STATES.
IT MAY NOT HAVE ANY IMPACT ON
OUR GASOLINE PRICES WHATSOEVER.
WE JUST CAN'T DRILL OUR WAY OR
PROBLEM.
ONE PIPELINE ISN'T GOING TO
SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
DRILLING IN PRISTINE AREAS IS
NOT GOING TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM.
WE NEED A COORDINATED, BALANCED
TRYING TO WALK AWAY FROM THE
HEIGHTENED CAMPAIGN RHETORIC
INTO A RATIONAL DISCUSSION ABOUT
AN ENERGY POLICY FOR AMERICA, A
BALANCED POLICY, ONE THAT IS
RESPECTFUL OF OUR ENVIRONMENT,
PROVIDES THE ENERGY WE NEED FOR
ECONOMIC GROWTH AND ALSO LOOKS
TO INNOVATION AND GREEN ENERGY
APPROACHES THAT WILL CREATE NEW
BUSINESSES AND NEW JOBS FOR THE
21st CENTURY IN AMERICA.
MR. PRESIDENT, I YIELD THE
I SUGGEST THE ABSENCE OF A
QUORUM.
THE
CLERK WILL CALL THE ROLL.
QUORUM CALL:
WILD
CALL:
CALL: