Ralph Hall: “5 years ago the United States fought a war in the Persian Gulf to safeguard our access to a plentiful supply of crude…”

“5 years ago the United States fought a war in the Persian Gulf to safeguard our access to a plentiful supply of crude oil in the Middle East. In 1991, the United States had a lot at stake in the Persian Gulf, and since then not much has changed. This country must make it a top priority to protect its access to a plentiful supply of crude oil--which is why we went to war in the first place. This Nation will fight for energy. The gulf crisis prompted a need for dramatic changes in U.S. energy policy. Since that time, we have made some movement forward by allowing the export of crude oil in Alaska, and providing drilling and exploration incentives for offshore drilling. I applaud my colleagues and the leaders of this country in the advancements we have made to this precious industry, but we must not stop there. We must continue to strive toward more U.S. oil and gas production and guard against the interruption of foreign supplies in the future. If we fail to recognize the dangers of an increased reliance on imported oil, this country could once again find itself in the same predicament we were in with the Middle East in 1991.”