Boone Pickens joins Congressmen Dan Boren, John Larson, and John Sullivan as they announce the bipartisan NAT GAS Act of 2009 at the Capitol.
Can you believe the progress that has been made over the last year in developing an energy plan for America?
I think we’re moving in the right direction. I think without Boone out there really pushing, we wouldn’t be where we are. Every day it seems to get better, but there’s still more work to be done.
What sort feedback have you been getting from your colleagues in the House of Representatives on tackling this problem?
I think the discussion over the last few months has been about our children and our grandchildren. Every dollar that we export is a dollar that is in the hands of people who in many instances do not like the United States. In fact, some of them hate the way of life that we have and the freedoms that we enjoy. I think it’s important for our own national security that we work on legislation like the NAT GAS Act.
Domestically produced natural gas can play such a crucial role.
Why not use a resource that we have in the United States that’s clean-burning and abundant instead of shipping our dollars to nations that don’t like us?
Tell me a little about your bill the NAT GAS Act. How many cosponsors does it have?
We’re up to 29. We just had a two-week recess, and most members were back in their districts, so I think you’ll see that number increase. Hopefully, quite dramatically.
What sort of bipartisan support does it have?
The NAT GAS Act is truly bipartisan. That’s one of its strengths. John Sullivan (R-OK) coauthored the bill with me and John Larson (D-CT). Tom Cole from my home state of Oklahoma is another Republican on board. He just became the 28th cosponsor or sponsor of the bill. I’ve also had many Republicans come up and say we would love to support our bill.
The fact that Boone is actually identifying the bill as H.R. 1835 in his speeches and saying, “Call your local member of Congress” is helping us get broad bipartisan support. Having Boone Pickens say this is important.
When Boone says, “Write your Congressman” or “Call your Representative and tell them to cosponsor this bill,” it’s better than me asking. I’m going to get some people to support the bill, but having the Army out there is the sort of grassroots support that makes a difference. We need the Army. We need people making those calls.
INTERVIEW CONDUCTED, CONDENSED, AND EDITED BY ERIC O’KEEFE