Joe Barton: “I want to welcome our two witnesses and give you the red badge of courage for showing up.”

It doesn't change the basic mission statement. It doesn't change the authorized level of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

I can't tell you how excited I am to have this hearing. It's really exciting for me.

I am a little bit skeptical if we are doing this simply because we don't like natural gas power, we don't like coal power, we don't like nuclear power, because that would be an added cost that somebody's got to bear.

I don't want to speak for the Department of Energy, but the draft legislation allows, without going through the appropriation process, funds generated by using this facility for private purposes to be used for maintenance of the facility.