[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 10]
[House]
[Page 14565]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                           OBAMA WAR ON COAL

  (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, while our Nation benefits 
from great wealth, often we become disconnected from just what it takes 
to power a great Nation.
  Standards of living that many are accustomed to in the developed 
world--including flipping a switch and having lights turn on, or with 
the turn of a dial having a machine do household laundry--these things 
aren't easily accessed by most of the planet.
  We've become accustomed to these day-to-day activities; but to have 
lights and power, America needs both affordable and reliable 
electricity. The fact is, much of this electricity is generated by 
coal.
  Despite some of the most abundant domestic energy resources, we are 
in denial. Mr. Speaker, we are in denial of the fact that we must 
produce energy to actually consume it. This disconnect from reality 
leaves the world's largest consumer of energy with no plan to power the 
largest economy in the world.
  The EPA's New Source Performance Standard for coal-powered plants is 
a misguided pursuit that jeopardizes the economic security of our 
country. It is a direct threat to the American consumer, affordable 
electricity, and the economic security of Pennsylvanians and the 
Nation.

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