Political Quotes

“Mr. Speaker, a recent headline in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution talked about the scarcity of heating fuel, which sent prices through the roof. By contrast, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported on a drop in utility bills in the area due to Marcellus Shale drilling in Pennsylvania. Both are classic examples of such supply and demand. Heating fuel in Atlanta is fed, in great part, by the production of offshore oil and natural gas reserves from the Gulf of Mexico. Unfortunately, last week vast amounts of our own oil and natural gas reserves off the Atlantic and Pacific coast were placed off limits by the White House, limiting production and, as a result, supply. Secretary of the Interior Salazar, through regulation, not legislation, removed nearly all of our vast offshore oil and natural gas reserves from the production process. The result, not one barrel of oil or cubic foot of natural gas owned by other citizens will be produced until at least 2022. In Pennsylvania, recent development of Marcellus Shale natural gas has brought the opposite effect. A lower rate from the Philadelphia Gas Works will save the average customer almost $15 per month. The solution is obvious, and Congress should reclaim its jurisdiction over our energy future. ____________________”