David Thomas: “we had a meeting this morning with the veterans. Over the last several months we have had a number of press conferences…”

“we had a meeting this morning with the veterans. Over the last several months we have had a number of press conferences and meetings with all kinds of different interests in this country that support us doing something, in a balanced way, about energy policy. We have heard from agriculture, the Farm Bureau, the Farmers' Union. Of course, the labor unions have been very much in support of what is there so we can get on with energy production. We have had small businesses. We have had Native Alaskans here and the veterans associations. I have been impressed with the breadth of support for an energy policy. I think it indicates in some ways the depth of involvement, how this touches everyone in this country, having an affordable, adequate energy supply, and doing it in a balanced way. It touches everyone's life. Unfortunately, in terms of moving on something, when last year we were having all the problems in California, of course, the shortage of electricity and the high prices, and gasoline prices were very high, there was great interest in it. Now gasoline prices are down. The California crisis is over. But I hope we do not lose our intensity, knowing that is not going to last unless we have a policy that leads us in the direction, in the future, of having an adequate domestic supply so we are not 60-percent dependent on foreign imports. Beginning to move towards more diversity in energy certainly ought to be part of our plan. We ought to do that.”