On the recordJanuary 27, 2015
Folks, the world is an inherently dangerous place. Watch the news. Think with me for a minute. When the world has a catastrophe--and it doesn't matter whether it is a tsunami, an earthquake, whether it is fire, pestilence, whether it is war--when the world has a catastrophe and dials 911, who is it that answers? It is America, isn't it? With our military. It is America that answers that 911 call. Now, how do we do that? It is because this country has the strongest, most stable, most reliable, affordable energy capacity and capability in the world. America is able to produce goods. I often say the things that make America great are the things that America makes, and our fossil fuel energy supply is what underwrites that. You don't think that's right? And I would argue that not only is it America's security; when America is strong, the world is strong. You don't think fossil fuel energy is important, try powering a tank or a jet plane with a solar panel, Mr. Speaker. You won't get very far. We must remain strong. As I said, for the world to be safe, America has got to be strong. This rule and this bill, H.R. 351, are important not only to America's economy but also our national security and, I would argue, by extension, with the world depending on us, international security. Yes, we have a stable, long-lasting reliable source of energy here in America. We have the opportunity to export that to our friends around the globe and help them to be safe, help them to be productive.…
