Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, over the past couple of months, I have worked tirelessly to find a reasonable compromise with the sponsor of H.R. 702, my friend and colleague from Texas (Mr. Barton), that would allow me and others with similarly situated constituencies to support this bill. Although I share the concerns of many of my Democratic colleagues on how this bill might impact the environment and climate change, I have always stated that I believe in the all-of-the-above energy approach that balances environmental concerns and economic opportunities. Mr. Chairman, yesterday in the Rules Committee I advocated for an open rule process that would have allowed Democrats to offer amendments that would reflect priorities and concerns of the minority party. In fact, Mr. Chairman, I myself submitted an amendment that would have expanded access for minority- and women-owned firms to more fully participate in the energy supply chain, which we know will be greatly enhanced if the export ban is lifted. Mr. Chairman, although my friends in the environmental community wouldn't agree, in my district, we say: Oil is not just a commodity. Oil is indeed an economic opportunity. {time} 1030 Mr. Chairman, my most pressing concern is making sure up front and from the beginning that minority firms would be part of the pipeline economy and would directly benefit from vendor and contracting opportunities that lifting this ban would create. Instead, Mr.…”