On the recordFebruary 29, 2012
I thank the gentleman from New Mexico. Before he yields the floor, I wanted to ask him a quick question. I know you've done tremendous work with the Western Caucus. You're a cochair of the Western Caucus trying to make sure you are eliminating regulations to do what we can to improve the economy of the Western United States, and I just wanted to share with you a quote from our colleague in the Senate, Senator Schumer from New York. This was February 27, just 2 days ago, a quote from The Hill newspaper. He is talking about trying to find solutions to increasing gas prices. Here is what he had to say: To address the situation, I urged the State Department to work with the Government of Saudi Arabia to increase its oil production, as they are currently producing well under their capacity. So, apparently, many of our colleagues, some in the Senate, think that the solution to the way out that we have isn't here in the United States at all. In fact, it's creating more dependency on overseas oil instead of developing in areas like the Western United States. I know you've done tremendous work to open up access to energy in the Western U.S., and I don't know if you had seen that comment or had time to reflect on it. {time} 2040
