John Shimkus: “I'm sorry that we're on the floor here today. This year I've yelled on this floor. I've cried on this floor. I've…”

“I'm sorry that we're on the floor here today. This year I've yelled on this floor. I've cried on this floor. I've stormed off this floor. So today I decided to be the still, small voice in support of coal, in support of the internal combustion engine, and in support of national security. Illinois alone is the Saudi Arabia of coal. If you want to decrease our reliance on imported crude oil, coal has to be in an energy bill. It just has to. And to deny that is a failure on public policy ramifications. I here hold in my hand an internal combustion engine, much maligned on the floor and in the world today. It's 1.5 horsepower. It's lighter and it's easier to carry than 1½ horses. And we have to imagine the benefits to this world that the internal combustion engine has caused, how it's uplifted the poor and the downtrodden. But this bill attacks the internal combustion engine. And on national security, coal-to-liquid fuel and natural gas, the evidence is clear: the Department of Defense wants to relieve itself of reliance on imported crude oil. They are seeking support of coal-to-liquid applications for jet fuel. The United States Air Force is the number one consumer of aviation fuel. Our coal fields to our refineries, to our pipelines, to our jet planes is the way in which we can decrease our reliance on imported crude oil and protect our national security interests. This bill does nothing in that respect. Vote ``no.``”