Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I rise today in opposition to H.R. 1, the deceptively named Lower Energy Costs Act. This bill will not lower energy costs, and it won't prevent price gouging because Republicans have no plan to lower energy costs. Here is what it will do: It will increase the deficit by $2.4 billion in handouts to big oil and gas. It will worsen the climate crisis, and it ignores the future of our country's clean energy workforce. Republicans are more focused on undoing Democratic accomplishments-- which, by the way, have already created over 100,000 jobs--than helping the American people. Polluters over people. This bill forces the government to lease government land to oil and gas companies even if those companies don't plan to use it. This bill will allow anyone to stake a mining claim on our public lands for less than $10 an acre, even if they haven't discovered any minerals. After that, any mining activity, including dumping toxic mining waste, is considered the highest and best use of those lands. My Republican colleagues will claim that this bill supports permitting. If you look closely, that simply is not true. The main barrier for getting permits approved is staffing levels. There simply aren't enough staff to get permits approved. However, I have good news.…”