Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 3826. I appreciate the work that the bills's sponsor, Mr. Whitfield, has done on this issue, and I am proud to be an original cosponsor of this bill. Wisconsin relies on coal for roughly two-thirds of our electricity production. Energy costs are consistently one of the many concerns my constituents share with me. The cold winter has made high energy bills the norm throughout Wisconsin. Instead of trying to alleviate these high costs, the EPA is pursuing policies that will drive energy prices even higher. The EPA's New Source Performance Standards require that now power plants capture, compress, and store about 40 percent of the CO<INF>2</INF> produced in order to be compliant. However, the CCS technology required has not been adequately demonstrated. Ignoring the realities of today's technologies, the EPA is plowing full speed ahead. This action clearly marks yet another salvo in the Obama administration's war on coal. The next volley will be the rules concerning existing power plants. If done incorrectly, these new rules could effectively make it too expensive for our coal-fired power plants to continue operating. While this might be the dream of some, my constituents and yours simply cannot afford it. Fortunately, this bill restores common sense to the EPA's rulemaking process for power plants.…”