Political Quotes

“I appreciate the gentleman from Louisiana for yielding and also for bringing up this amendment. Let's talk about reality versus fiction. Here is the reality. The reality is that these regulations have not been out there. They were not subject to investigations and studies. I was the lead trustee for the State of Louisiana. I was the tip of the spear who was fighting BP during the entire Deepwater Horizon, and I was the natural resource manager for the coast of Louisiana under which over 600 miles of our coast was oiled. I appreciate the gentleman for stepping in and trying to defend our environment and our resources. For the constituents whom I represent who lost family members, the reality is this: 60 percent of the wells since the Deepwater Horizon couldn't even be drilled under this proposed rule. The reality is that the Department of the Interior's cost estimate said it was going to cost $883 million to comply with when a private study said it was going to be $93 billion. The reality is this: you have a bunch of bureaucrats who are sitting around in a vacuum who have no idea what they are doing and who are proposing things under the auspices of safety but that actually threaten the lives of our citizens in south Louisiana who are producing energy for this Nation--in fact, approximately 17 percent of the energy for the United States. Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, how much time do I have remaining? The Acting CHAIR.…”