[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 47 (Wednesday, April 26, 2006)]
[House]
[Page H1748]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                           REFINING CAPACITY

  (Mr. SULLIVAN asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SULLIVAN. Madam Speaker, we all know that gas prices are very 
high right now, but one of the reasons that gas prices are high is that 
we haven't built or expanded a refinery in this country for 30 years, 
and the reason is because the environmental extremists won't allow that 
to happen. That is one of the reasons there is not enough supply for 
the demand out there. It is very simple. That is what it is, supply and 
demand.
  Our refineries right now are operating at maximum capacity. They 
can't pump out any more gas to the people of this country. So we need 
to expand domestic production. We need to expand refining capacity in 
this country. It is critically important we do that, and that in return 
will help to reduce gas prices in this country.
  So we need to build these around the country and to build them with 
geographical diversity as it relates to the refining capacity. Katrina 
underscored that, because 40 percent of our refining capacity is down 
in the gulf, and it was affected by Katrina. We saw gas prices go up 
when they were affected. So one of the things we need to do is spread 
refining capacity around the country.
  One of the best places to build a refinery in this country is 
Cushing, Oklahoma. I say that not only because I am from Oklahoma, but 
because nine major oil pipelines intersect in Cushing. We have the 
infrastructure in place already and the supply there. It is about a 
near perfect place to build a refinery in this great country. We need 
it desperately. Let's make it a megarefinery producing 500,000 barrels 
a day.

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