Political Quotes

“I noticed one thing when I listened to this debate. If we can bottle the hot air that has been coming from some people on this side of the aisle over here, we can solve the energy crisis right now. I have never heard so many what I call knee-jerk reactions, if we check each one of your cheeks, you will see a black eye, about this whole oil crisis. The solution that I have heard today, we are going to have our strategic reserve drawn down. I happen to agree with the gentleman from Texas (Mr. DeLay). If I was an OPEC member, I would say draw it, buddy, because when it is all going, you are going to pay $55 a barrel of oil. That is what I would do, and that is what they will do if we do that. What I want to talk about is the selling of Alaskan oil. My good friend, the gentleman from California (Mr. George Miller), the gentleman from Oregon (Mr. DeFazio) talking about Alaskan oil, we sell from Alaska 55,000 barrels a day of heavy crude. And by the way, we also sell 59,000 barrels a day from California, heavy crude. Now, think about that a moment; but more than that, we are importing 8,650,000 barrels a day from the OPEC countries. If we would stop that 55,000 barrels, it would not stop one bit of the prices increased on the Western States. But more than that, you do not have the capability to refine the oil. The refineries are not there. They are not there, and they will not be there. And most of you know that. This is all, again, hot air.”