Political Quotes

“Mr. Chair, I rise today in favor of my amendment, No. 63, which would reduce the salary of Director Shah of the Department of Energy's Loan Programs Office to $1. Director Shah receives the allocation of grants and loans for clean energy initiatives funded through both the Inflation Reduction Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. I voted for the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, so it particularly disturbs me. As this administration continues to prioritize dubious green initiatives, American energy prices have gone up, not down, our strategic reserves have been depleted, and reliable energy sources are being overlooked in favor of less reliable energy sources. Mr. Shah has played a critical role in that decline and he has hurt America. Beyond his advocacy for the Green New Deal, Mr. Shah's conflict of interest and questionable business practices are deeply troubling. Let me explain. Mr. Shah was the president of Generate Capital. He provided a $100 million loan to Plug Power, a company that develops hydrogen fuel cells. Later, as director of the Loan Programs Office, Mr. Shah proceeded to give Plug Power a $1.66 billion loan guarantee, but this came from the Department of Energy, our tax dollars. Mr. Chair, it came from your tax dollars and the tax dollars of Americans. In 2023, Plug Power proceeded to report over $1.3 billion in losses. This raises serious concerns about Mr.…”