Chris Murphy: “natural gas prices have risen by over 300 percent since 1998. And while we are concerned about jobs going overseas, let…”

“natural gas prices have risen by over 300 percent since 1998. And while we are concerned about jobs going overseas, let us be reminded that we pay 25 percent more than China and 14 percent more than Europe. We have lost some 3 million manufacturing jobs in this Nation related to higher natural gas prices since 1999. In the last 5 years, 90,000 jobs from the chemical industry alone have been lost because of higher natural gas prices. We have doubled the price of fertilizer which increases the price for farmers which is passed on in higher food costs. Homeowners have seen a 55 percent increase in natural gas prices in their home. This is the issue of the law of supply and demand. If we want to increase the supplies, if we want to lower the cost, if we want to save jobs in America that so many people talk about here all the time, we have to have more natural gas in this country, which means we should be opening up safe opportunities, allow States to monitor this, all of which is in the energy bill. I recommend my colleagues oppose this amendment so we can keep jobs and keep natural gas prices lower.”