Rep. Jack Kingston:
“Dependence on foreign oil threatens our national security and distorts global diplomacy. Whether it is bandit kidnappers in Nigeria, two-bit Communist dictators like Chavez in Venezuela, or the former student-hostage-taker turned President of Iran ? it is not in our interest to remain dependent on those who don?t share our interests.
“Each year we are sending tens of billions of dollars to regimes that are using that money to undermine us in our own hemisphere, to fund the forces of terrorism in radical mosques and suicide bomber schools across the Middle East, and now to build the “Islamic bomb” in Tehran?s nuclear plants [...]
“Energy independence is not a partisan idea. Republicans and Democrats pay the same high prices at the pump, liberals and conservatives are both threatened by oil funded terror. There will be plenty of places we can have political disagreement this year, I hope this is not one of them.
“I hope we come together as Americans first and join President Bush in his call to break our addiction to foreign oil. I hope we can set America free and lead the world to a future that is more secure here at home, that grows the jobs of the new century, and that improves the environment we will be leaving our children. I hope we?ll pass Fuel Choices for American Security this year. ”