Don Young: “Mr. Chairman, I rise in the strongest opposition to this bill. This bill, as brought forth by the majority, will…”

“Mr. Chairman, I rise in the strongest opposition to this bill. This bill, as brought forth by the majority, will increase the energy costs to all Americans. It increases the imports more than we are now, where we are now at 67 percent, of foreign oil, sending dollars overseas to compete against us and actually raise the war of terror. I am shocked that any union would ever support this bill. It will lead to the loss of jobs in all sectors of our economy. It is clearly the work of those, including the leadership on the other side, who do not appreciate the blessings of America's place in the world. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher once said, ``Nothing is more obstinate than a fashionable consensus.'' This bill appears to be based on the consensus opinion that America is too wealthy, too strong and too influential in the world. The way we got there was to build the world's strongest economy by using the energy that God gave us. The popular consensus of representatives of this bill is if we use less energy and make it more expensive then we can unilaterally reduce our impact on the world. I have news for those who believe this: Nature abhors a vacuum.”