Thompson Statement on State of the Union
Washington, D.C.—U.S. Representative Glenn `GT’ Thompson, R-Howard, made the following statement on the President’s State of the Union speech based on an early outline received from the White House:
“Tonight the President asked both Democrats and Republicans to work on health care reform. I have been ready to work with them since I came to Congress a year ago. I hope the President is serious in looking at some of the reforms we have proposed that do not raise taxes, cut Medicare or put government in the business of running our health care. These include bringing costs down for everybody with tort reform, allowing buyers to cross state lines to purchase their health care packages, and allowing states to develop high risk pools so that those with pre-existing conditions can purchase health care.
“The President wants a jobs bill that includes investments in small businesses, road, bridge, rail and port projects and in what he calls `Green jobs and clean energy.’ If green jobs and clean energy means the Cap and Trade bill, he has a long road ahead of him. This is one of those proposals with the best of intentions that will bring the worst of results. Switching from fossil fuels to `green’ energy, is a laudable goal. Charging people more to use fossil fuels in order to switch them to `green’ energy, will be a tremendous burden on Americans. So-called green energy is still less than two percent of our energy portfolio. The Cap and Trade bill punishes people by charging them more for fossil fuels so that they will use more renewable energy. I don’t think that makes any sense in an economy that is still staggering?
“The easiest solution to the energy problems in this country is to maximize the use of all of our domestic energy resources, including renewable energy. Marcellus Shale and natural gas development is a great clean-burning bridge to the future in pursuing the goal of ‘green’ energy. Developing all of our energy resources will keep prosperity in this country, help with our nation’s energy security and provide high-paying jobs that desperately are needed.”
“Tonight the President asked both Democrats and Republicans to work on health care reform. I have been ready to work with them since I came to Congress a year ago. I hope the President is serious in looking at some of the reforms we have proposed that do not raise taxes, cut Medicare or put government in the business of running our health care. These include bringing costs down for everybody with tort reform, allowing buyers to cross state lines to purchase their health care packages, and allowing states to develop high risk pools so that those with pre-existing conditions can purchase health care.
“The President wants a jobs bill that includes investments in small businesses, road, bridge, rail and port projects and in what he calls `Green jobs and clean energy.’ If green jobs and clean energy means the Cap and Trade bill, he has a long road ahead of him. This is one of those proposals with the best of intentions that will bring the worst of results. Switching from fossil fuels to `green’ energy, is a laudable goal. Charging people more to use fossil fuels in order to switch them to `green’ energy, will be a tremendous burden on Americans. So-called green energy is still less than two percent of our energy portfolio. The Cap and Trade bill punishes people by charging them more for fossil fuels so that they will use more renewable energy. I don’t think that makes any sense in an economy that is still staggering?
“The easiest solution to the energy problems in this country is to maximize the use of all of our domestic energy resources, including renewable energy. Marcellus Shale and natural gas development is a great clean-burning bridge to the future in pursuing the goal of ‘green’ energy. Developing all of our energy resources will keep prosperity in this country, help with our nation’s energy security and provide high-paying jobs that desperately are needed.”
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