Political Quotes

“Mr. President, I am pleased to join my distinguished colleague from West Virginia in this discussion of an energy source that is vital to our Nation, and that is coal. North Dakota, like the great State of West Virginia, is a major coal-producing State and a major energy-producing State. I think my distinguished colleague from West Virginia hit the nail on the head when he said we need a comprehensive energy plan in this country that is truly ``all of the above.'' We need to use all of our energy resources. And different States have different types of energy, and every type of energy has different strengths and weaknesses. The kind of energy we produce in one part of the country or the source of producing that energy is different than in another part of the country. But the point is that if we take an ``all of the above'' approach, we can be truly energy independent in this country, but also think of the jobs and the economic growth that come with it. My colleague just went through how coal, for example, creates tremendous jobs, and he is right--good-paying jobs. So when we talk about an ``all of the above'' energy approach, we are talking not just about national security in terms of energy independence--not depending on the Middle East or Venezuela or these other places for our energy; that is national security--but it is also about economic growth and jobs and opportunity, a great living for families, a great way to earn and generate income for families across this Nation.…”