Political Quotes

“I thank my dear friend and colleague from South Carolina (Mr. Norman) for filing this, but I must respectfully rise in strong opposition to the amendment. My colleague's amendment would eliminate the Advanced Research Projects Agency, or ARPA-E. ARPA-E's mission is to fund projects that are not yet addressed in the private sector but can bring about transformational shifts in current energy technologies. Nearly 75 percent of ARPA-E awards go to small businesses and academia. ARPA-E projects have led to over 1,000 patents being issued and have attracted more than $11.5 billion in follow-on funding from the private sector. These projects push the envelope on what is possible in the energy sector and will continue to play an important role in maintaining U.S. leadership to develop the next generation of energy technologies. I believe these are goals that all of us can support. I, therefore, must respectfully oppose the amendment and urge my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Chair, I reserve the balance of my time. The Acting CHAIR. The gentleman has the only time remaining.”