[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 41 (Tuesday, March 8, 2022)]
[House]
[Page H1345]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  CALLING FOR U.S. ENERGY INDEPENDENCE

  (Mr. HIGGINS of New York asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. HIGGINS of New York. Mr. Speaker, this week, the House will 
consider a bill to provide both humanitarian and military aid to the 
people of Ukraine.
  We must fortify President Zelensky and the Ukrainian people from an 
unprovoked attack on an independent country. We must also protect 
ourselves.
  Putin has weaponized oil and natural gas export profits, profits that 
he stole from the Russian people, parking oil profits throughout the 
world in oligarchs.
  Right now, the United States imports 22 million barrels of Russian 
oil every single month. This is 60 percent of the money that Putin used 
to leverage his invasion, and it must stop.
  Our country needs long-term energy independence.
  There are 211 lithium-ion battery plants in the world. Mr. Speaker, 
156 are in China, and just 12 are here in the United States. We need to 
get tough on China, but we need to get tougher on ourselves about 
China.
  Everyone will benefit from an America that is producing electric 
vehicles and one that is truly energy independent. It is time to get 
serious about this. American jobs and national security are on the 
line.

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