Political Quotes

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Chair, I rise today in strong support of the Norcross amendment, and I want to thank my colleague for calling attention to this issue and the importance of EERE. I represent the State of Maine, and we have over 3,000 miles of tidal coastline and millions of acres of forest. We are famous for our natural resources and the recreational opportunities that they provide, so it would be no surprise that these resources are providing our residents with an abundance of renewable energy sources. Our State's natural resources and our efforts have made us one of the leaders in renewable energy development. From solar, to wind, to tidal, to biomass, Maine is a leader in renewable energy. Because our State is largely a rural one, with many diverse energy needs in our rural and island communities, we are particularly attentive to rising energy costs and the need to have more ways to solve them. This amendment today would restore funds to the EERE account, and it will help the State of Maine, like so many other States like it that are working hard to move our energy policy to the 21st century. We have traditionally been in one of the most oil-dependent States in the country, but this will help us address rising energy costs with more tools and technologies at our disposal. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to support renewable energy, and I support this amendment.”