Political Quotes

“Madam Chair, I rise in opposition to H.R. 4606, the Ensuring Small Scale LNG Certainty and Access Act. Madam Chair, this bill is unnecessary, as the Department of Energy has already finalized a rule that would approve any application to import or export as much as 0.14 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day if no environmental reviews are required. Additionally, Madam Chair, I offered an amendment to this bill that would have protected the property rights of landowners, but that amendment was refused by the Rules Committee. Madam Chair, my amendment would simply have ensured that eminent domain would not be exploited for the construction of any pipeline used to import or export any of the gas through this expedited process. Madam Chair, Members from both sides of the aisle have been bombarded with complaints from their constituents who have been forced to defend their own property rights due to aggressive tactics employed by companies seeking to appropriate their land in order to make a profit. Congress should stand on the side of these constituents, as my amendment would have ensured, instead of making it easier for private companies to seize land from American citizens. This is especially true in cases where applications are expedited, with little or no opportunity for public input or public debate through the process, as the underlying bill mandates.…”