John Drake: “Well, thank you to the gentleman from Pennsylvania inviting me to be here with you today. This is such a critical issue…”

“Well, thank you to the gentleman from Pennsylvania inviting me to be here with you today. This is such a critical issue, and one that I truly appreciate your leadership in the time that I've served in the House of Representatives, that this has been your passion. It shows to America today, but it's something that is a critical need, for our country, for our economic and for our national security. And I really want to thank you for the explanation that you give to America. And I heard you talk just a few minutes ago about Cuba and China, and I think that's when America is going to demand of elected leaders, why are we blocking the deep sea drilling of natural gas off America when Cuba is going to be doing it and selling it to China, right off the coast of our Nation? And I really want America to watch that and to remember that you've been talking about that for all this time. One of the things that was painful for me that I learned in working with you on your bill this year is the story of Dow Chemical and how a company founded in Michigan in 1897 has lost 7,000 jobs since 2002. But they're now doing a $30 billion expansion, and 10,000 jobs that should be right here in America are going to countries like Saudi Arabia and Libya because of the price of natural gas. You can't pay that $14 you just showed us if you can pay 85 cents in Saudi Arabia. And that was a real driver in the Commonwealth of Virginia.”