Political Quotes

“I come to the floor this evening to offer a few remarks about claims that have been made on this floor over the course of the last few days regarding the path forward to American energy independence. The oil industry--reaping record profits in the billions of dollars-- is taking advantage, quite artfully, of the crisis in Ukraine to make arguments to the U.S. Congress and this administration that they should be given new liberties to drill on lands in the United States to be able to reap even greater profits. And the claim that the oil industry makes that is often parroted by friends inside this body is that the path to American energy independence runs through drilling for more oil in the United States of America. That is not true. That is an oil industry talking point. That is a means by which the industry can get Congress and the administration to provide them with new opportunities for more profit. But the facts belie the argument that America could achieve energy independence solely through drilling for more oil and exploring for more gas in the United States. Why do we know this? Well, we know this, primarily, because the oil industry doesn't drill in the United States to benefit our national security. They drill in the United States to make money. And the reality is, when the price of a barrel of oil is too low compared to the cost of pulling it out of the ground in the United States, the oil companies don't drill.…”