David Thomas: “we are dealing with an issue that is probably the most important that we have before us, in terms of jobs, in terms of…”

“we are dealing with an issue that is probably the most important that we have before us, in terms of jobs, in terms of meeting the needs in this country. We are dealing with an issue we have talked about for 2 years or more. We have finally come up with some solutions. This is an issue that has already been on the floor that passed with 58 positive votes. The Senator from Arizona indicated it hasn't been discussed or talked about or voted on. That is absolutely not the case. It has been, and that is where we are. There are two major issues involved. I am not going to get into the details. We are creating a policy for our future energy needs. As we look around at our families and our businesses and everything we do, there is nothing that affects our lives all day long more than energy. Whether it is lights, whether it is air-conditioning, whether it is heat, whether it is cars, whether it is receiving goods in your community, that all takes energy. So we are developing a policy, not necessarily for what is going to happen next week or next year, but down the road, where are we going to be? The second portion deals with some of the issues that are troublesome now: The price of fuel, and the idea we are going to run short on some of the kinds of fuel we are using. All those things are there. This was part of an energy bill. It is not all of it, but it is a good part of it that we have worked on for a very long time. It is backed up by the facts.…”