[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 12239]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      U.S. FORCES BOMB IRAQ AGAIN

  (Mr. GIBBONS asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GIBBONS. Mr. Speaker, since the Gulf War, our pilots have been 
patrolling the skies over Iraq, trying to keep Saddam Hussein contained 
and in check. On June 26 of this year, Iraqi forces fired an 
antiaircraft missile at our aircraft. We responded, of course, by 
shooting back and defending ourselves against this aggression.
  Yet Saddam Hussein is much more than an enemy that regularly tries to 
kill or capture American pilots. The country Iraq is currently a 
significant part of the American economy by providing us with oil.
  In the first quarter of this year, we bought $1.2 billion of Iraqi 
oil, according to the Energy Information Administration. Where do my 
colleagues think this money goes? Mr. Speaker, it goes straight to 
Saddam Hussein's government, straight to the $25,000 reward checks he 
gives to families of each Palestinian suicide bomber.
  We import nearly a million barrels a day from this madman. More than 
10 percent of our oil imports come from Iraq, and yet Saddam Hussein 
still would like nothing more than a downed American pilot to show the 
world.
  It is time our energy policy got in line with our foreign policy. It 
is time to reduce our dependency on foreign oil. Mr. Speaker, if it is 
worth fighting for over there, it is worth exploring for here at home.

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