Political Quotes

“I appreciate the response of my good friend, Senator Bingaman, and he is my friend. We have worked on this issue. I appreciate his explanation. But I have to refer to the fact that route issue has been around for a while because the House had it in its bill. Of course, we were not a party to the process of developing the underlying bill as the minority, so we didn't have an opportunity to address the route issue, and the bill came in route neutral. Today, it is no longer route neutral. We appreciate that fact. We will cosponsor it, but we are going to add a little more to it. I am sure the majority would agree it is in the interest of Alaska, since we are anxious to make that accommodation. Again, we are most appreciative. But it didn't just come up. It came from H.R. 4, and we have always been in favor because, obviously, the other alternative is simply to take the gas over the top, so to speak, as you can see, from Prudhoe Bay. You take it along the Arctic Ocean off the 1002 area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, over into Canada, and then come down. Obviously, that is in the best interest of Alaska, not in the best interest of jobs.”