Political Quotes

“Well, thank you, Mr. Reed. And, yes, serving as cochair for the Marcellus Shale Caucus is truly an honor because we do have such an opportunity before us. As Mr. Reed mentioned earlier, Mr. Speaker, this isn't a Democrat or a Republican issue. This is a bipartisan issue because it's about economic opportunity for all of our regions. Mr. Speaker, I am joining my colleagues to discuss the significant economic potential that the Marcellus shale natural gas play has for our country. As you may know, the Marcellus shale is the largest unconventional natural gas formation in the United States. The shale is estimated to hold almost 500 trillion cubic feet of extractable natural gas currently valued at nearly $2 trillion. As with most economic activity, the impacts of the natural gas affect more than just specific firms directly involved in the industry. There are also important employment and income effects on local businesses who supply the industry, such as oilfield service companies, restaurants, retailers and hotels, in addition to effects that result from employees spending their wages locally. In Pennsylvania, 75 percent of the natural gas it uses every day is imported currently. This is just Pennsylvania. The Marcellus shale formation that runs along the Appalachian Mountains--so it goes up into New York, comes down through Pennsylvania, into Virginia and West Virginia, as G.T. Thompson, Mr.…”