Dana Rohrabacher: “Mr. Chairman, that was a very emotional appeal but the fact is there are many facts that were incorrect in the…”

“Mr. Chairman, that was a very emotional appeal but the fact is there are many facts that were incorrect in the presentation. Yes indeed, the Department of Energy did solicit on this project in 1991. Shortly thereafter, within a few years after that, it was determined that this was a totally worthless project. The Department of Energy solicited my office, solicited this Member to come here and prevent this money from being wasted. The fact is, yes, there is some experimentation that needs to be done on coal gasification. The Department of Energy's position is this is not that project. This is a wasteful project that if we terminate right now, which we have the chance to do, we will be able to save $9 million dollars. The experts, the scientific experts, Bob Walker, the chairman of the Committee on Science, myself who is the chairman of the authorizations subcommittee, are telling Members this will not be authorized next year, if we do not eliminate the spending now we will have committed, it will have already been committed, as the process goes on the money will have been wasted. The Department of Energy, let me note this, says whatever comes out of this project will not be worth the investment because of low oil prices until the year 2010. This money is a total waste, it is going down one big black hole.”