Political Quotes

“I have come to the floor this morning to recognize and commemorate the 45th anniversary of the first oil moving through the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System. We actually reached that milepost on Monday so I am here to speak this morning about what this 800-mile-long pipeline continues to mean for Alaska, our Nation, and really the world itself. TAPS, the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, is truly a modern marvel. It is the backbone of my home State's economy. It supports great jobs for Alaska. It helps generate critical revenues for our State. It ensures that our energy is transported safely, and it really is a vital component of America's energy security. But I think it is kind of nice, as we reflect on decades past, to appreciate some of the history behind the Trans-Alaska Pipeline because, for a period of time, there was a question of whether or not this extraordinary energy infrastructure would be built at all. After oil was discovered in Prudhoe Bay, there was vigorous debate as to how we were going to move this resource, how we were going to transport it. Some wanted to use trucks or tankers; others actually thought that massive jets would be the way to go. There were some who wanted to build an overland pipeline across Canada. That would have been about a 3,200-mile line in length. But, thankfully, it was an all- Alaska pipeline route that prevailed.…”