Richard Burr: “I am glad I stayed on the floor because I was a little dismayed when I heard Senator Cantwell describe her amendment.…”

“I am glad I stayed on the floor because I was a little dismayed when I heard Senator Cantwell describe her amendment. Senator Durbin helped to clear it up for me in the fact that if we cut trucks off at the truckstop and if all the American people take the tires that are on their car now and we change those to new tires, we can eliminate a million barrels of oil. It is incredibly easy. It is unrealistic, but if you hear it portrayed, it is portrayed as something that is easy to accomplish. I rise in opposition to the Senator's amendment because I believe one of the responsibilities we have as Members of the Senate is to, in fact, pass legislation that is reasonable for the American people, legislation that is technologically possible to achieve--even if we stretch technology and we push technology, and even if we were to create a ``Manhattan Energy project.'' The reality is that some of the same individuals who stand in this chamber and claim this is easily achievable are the same ones who for the last decade have blocked domestic exploration, which is crucial to less reliance on foreign oil. I believe every American agrees with me that we want to become less reliant on imported oil, but it is not just for national security, it is for job security.…”