[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 40 (Thursday, March 21, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H2563]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  AMERICA TOO DEPENDENT ON FOREIGN OIL

  (Mr. THORNBERRY asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THORNBERRY. Madam Speaker, those who do not learn from the 
mistakes of the past are condemned to repeat them. It has been 5 years 
since the gulf war, and yet the United States has not yet seemed to 
learn the dangers of being dependent on other for our energy needs.
  In fact, the United States is more dependent on foreign oil than ever 
before. More than 50 percent of our oil is imported, with about 20 
percent coming from the Persian Gulf. We continue to lose producing 
wells, independent exploration and producing companies, as well as 
expertise. Talk about downsizing and exporting jobs--more than 500,000 
jobs have been lost in oil and gas. And yet we go right along--acting 
as though domestic energy production is a luxury rather than a 
necessity of life in an unstable world.
  Madam Speaker, it's time we learned from the past and take steps now 
to put us on the road to energy independence.

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