Political Quotes

“Senator Manchin, the thought of having to start over-- as you say, to start from scratch--is absolutely the wrong way to address our energy policies and the reforms that are needed. I completely and fully agree with you. It would be a mistake. It would be a significant mistake for Congress to simply give up on energy policy for yet another year. As you have indicated, Congress last enacted a major energy bill in 2007. That is more than 12\1/2\ years ago. That is unacceptable. That is the thing that is holding us back then, but even despite the fact that we have not been able to update our energy laws, we have even an oil-and-gas renaissance. The cost of renewables has declined sharply. New technologies have begun to emerge. We have new challenges and opportunities to address, but what is missing here is the U.S. Congress coming together to modernize our Nation's energy policy. I think it would be a mistake to decide that this is just too hard; that there is not enough time left. We have been down that road before. Ladies and gentlemen, we are so far along in this process that we just need to keep pushing and keep moving. We are so far along, but that thinking would push us back to a reset or a restart. It is just not where we want to be. Senator Manchin, I will just ask one final question; that is, whether you agree that there will be no giving up at any point from either one of us on this very important American Energy Innovation Act.”