Political Quotes

“My amendment strikes language in the underlying bill that undermines and underfunds the Department of Defense's ability to develop and acquire alternative fuels that improve mission capabilities under section 526 of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Section 526 established important baselines that guide private sector innovators in the development of alternative fuels for our military. It is a low-cost, commonsense provision that helps the military fulfill its existing goals to diversify its fuel supply to reduce costs and save lives. It does not, as some incorrectly claim, ban any fuels. It has not hindered the Department of Defense from purchasing the fuels that we need right now to counter the new and dynamic threats we face throughout the globe. It simply requires fuel producers seeking to do business with our military to meet certain requirements. We cannot expect to fight and to win the wars of tomorrow with only the fuels of yesterday. A $1 increase in the price of a barrel of oil translates to approximately a $130 million increase in DOD expenditures over the course of a year. A blip in the world oil market forces the Department to redirect resources away from mission priorities--grounding planes and turning ships around. Since September 11, 2001, more than 3,000 servicemembers have been killed or wounded in attacks on fuel convoys in Afghanistan.…”