James T. Callahan: “Mr. Chairman, I cannot believe amendments like this. It is the height of irresponsibility. I think Members should oppose…”

“Mr. Chairman, I cannot believe amendments like this. It is the height of irresponsibility. I think Members should oppose this amendment because it establishes a horribly irresponsible precedent for our energy security in this country. The Democrat leadership is constraining our economy within the same energy straitjacket that they applied under the Carter administration and that they are applying now in California that brings blackouts. The working people of America are depending on us to open energy reserves to safe, environmentally responsible exploration. Without reliable energy, our economy will crumble. It will mean blackouts, layoffs, and plant closings. This energy security obstructionism is one aspect of a broader effort to systematically choke off every promising source of domestic energy. It is hard to fathom how this campaign to block energy production could be driven by anything but a misguided motivation to weaken America and to leave us beholden to foreign sources of energy. The Democrat leadership is at war with our ability to produce an adequate and dependable energy supply. They oppose safe oil exploration. They oppose expanded nuclear power. They oppose clean coal. They oppose ANWR. They oppose tapping the natural gas trapped beneath public lands. They oppose drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. And now they oppose slant drilling in Michigan.”