[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 12744]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                         THE FATHER OF FRACKING

  (Mr. WEBER of Texas asked and was given permission to address the 
House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WEBER of Texas. Mr. Speaker, last week, Texas and America's 
energy industry lost a friend. George Mitchell, who many knew as the 
``father of fracking,'' passed away last week at his home in Galveston, 
Texas. While his death is a sad occasion, his legacy will live on as 
the energy industry continues to grow and prosper. Texas now stands 
ranked as No. 14 in the world in oil and gas production, largely due to 
Mr. Mitchell's innovation.
  Not only was George an energy innovator, he was a community builder. 
He was a visionary. He developed the Woodlands Master Community when 
many just saw it as useless swampland. Mr. Mitchell also played an 
integral role in reviving what I consider a precious gem in my 
district: the island of Galveston. George and his wife put countless 
hours and resources into restoring the strand which helped keep the 
island a popular tourist destination and number one in Texas, for that 
matter.
  It's important that we remember George Mitchell not only for his 
contribution to Texas business, but also for his zeal and tenacity to 
give back to the communities where he lived and worked.
  I'm Randy Weber, and that's the way I see it from where I sit here in 
America.

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