Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time for closing. I just want to stress, Mr. Speaker, that the methane polluter fee corrects a market failure that currently makes it cheaper for owners and operators to waste methane instead of installing or upgrading their equipment to prevent leaks and flaring. In other words, what we want them to do is to upgrade their equipment, prevent the leaks and the flaring. If they do that, we give them money, including a set-aside for small producers so that this happens and they don't pay the fee. Leaked or intentionally wasted natural gas never makes its way to customers, but they are nevertheless stuck with the bill. They have to pay for that. The Methane Emissions Reduction Program will ensure that American consumers no longer pay for wasted energy or the harm that these emissions can cause. The bottom line is that wasted methane is bad for business. It is bad for consumers. It is bad for the climate. The problem with H.J. Res. 35 is it will allow this waste to continue unchecked. This is a program that is working. Don't kill it with this resolution. You are going to kill jobs. You are going to kill our efforts to try to reduce methane in the environment, and you are not helping anybody in the industry. For all these reasons, Mr. Speaker, I urge a ``no'' on H.J. Res. 35, and I yield back the balance of my time.”