Political Quotes

“I don't want to quibble over details, but we actually held 13 hearings and passed four bills over the last three Congresses about this particular rule and found countless problems with it. That is why we are here today. I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from West Virginia (Mr. McKinley), who knows the real impact on his constituents that this rule will have. Mr. McKINLEY. Mr. Speaker, as chairman of the Congressional Coal Caucus, I rise today in strong support for this action. After 8 long, tortuous years, our coal communities have endured a withering attack from Washington bureaucrats focused on this agenda of anticoal. What has been the result? Across this country, in the coal fields of this country, 400 mines have closed down, 83,000 coal miners have lost their jobs, 246 power plants have closed down, and our electric utility bills have gone up 45 percent. Then, right before President Obama left town, his administration punctuated its war on coal with this damaging further rule. This rule is nothing more than an organic manifestation of a Washington bureaucracy drunk with power. If it is left unaddressed, this rule would shut down an additional number of coal mines, and 78,000 men and women would lose their jobs because of this rule. For the last 2 years, our Coal Caucus, bipartisan members, have made stopping this rule our number one priority, because it has nothing to do with the health of America, the safety of America, and the life of Americans.…”