Political Quotes

“I rise to introduce legislation with Senator Merkley that will provide the President of the United States with emergency powers to aggressively reduce the Federal Government's demand for energy. The Strategic Petroleum Demand Response Act will be an additional tool to address rapidly rising energy prices by reducing our country's demand for oil. The political instability in the Middle East reminds us that this region, which holds the largest reserves of oil in the world, has had profound implications on our country's economy by dramatically affecting the price of oil. Although the attention has been on potential supply disruption, our country also consumes nearly 17 million barrels of oil per day and through aggressive measures the Federal Government can lead our country in reducing its energy bill, curtailing its consumption of oil, and reducing the price of oil for consumers. As we encounter these price spikes, some have called for a release of oil from our country's strategic petroleum reserve. The fact is prior to releasing our country's strategic reserves we must develop policies that prioritize the Federal Government's consumption of these critical oil supplies. The Federal Government can reduce nonemergency travel, reduce congestion on the roads by providing flexible work hours, decrease the use of oil in heating and cooling buildings, and work with local and state governments to cut consumption as well.…”