Political Quotes

“I would like to talk about an issue in my State of West Virginia--really my region--that is becoming very important, I think, to this country's energy security and prosperity. As we know, West Virginia has extensive natural gas liquid resources. Nearly a century ago, when these resources were discovered, the rapid growth that followed turned Central West Virginia into a national hub for the petrochemical industry. You know what, we have never looked back. Today, chemistry remains our State's second largest industry and directly impacts other major sectors like energy, biomedical engineering, and manufacturing. West Virginia is home to 140 different chemical companies that employ nearly 13,000 workers. West Virginia's share of GDP from the chemical industry is the sixth largest in the country, and these products are about one-quarter of our State's major international exports. We still have one of the highest concentrations of chemical, polymer, and resin manufacturers in the world. The sector is sort of a microcosm of the challenges and opportunities facing this important American industry during a time of fierce international competition. Estimates show, more than 100,000 workers in West Virginia already have the industrial skills to fill jobs in this sector, and there are thousands more who could easily be retrained to fill these jobs in this important industry.…”