On the recordNovember 20, 2013
We are producing more energy now than we have ever produced, and it is thanks to new technologies like hydraulic fracking for making that happen. The Eagle Ford shale in the district I represent has created over 400,000 jobs and, roughly, $2.6 billion in salaries in a 13-county area. The benefits from this are not isolated. Shale has brought back rail, steel, plastics, sand, and manufacturing; and the average U.S. household's energy costs have gone way down. I have seen numbers as high as $1,200 less for energy bills. This technology isn't new. We have been using it in Texas for over 60 years. It is regulated by the Texas Railroad Commission, and they do a great job. All of these people with all of the scare tactics sometimes forget that, when hydraulic fracking is done, it is done a mile below or two miles below the water table. It is safe. It is well regulated by the State. It is good for the economy. It is turning the balance of trade. It is saving us money on energy. It is also creating an economic revival in this country. We have got to let States regulate it. I urge the support of this bill.
