[Page H2636]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


                  SELL AMERICAN NATURAL GAS TO UKRAINE

  (Mr. POE of Texas asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute.)
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, the Napoleon of Siberia, Putin, 
controls Ukraine and other European countries by holding their energy 
needs hostage. Russia uses gas as a political and economic weapon to 
manipulate its neighbors.
  This does not have to be, and the United States can change that.
  By selling European countries our oil and gas, we can reduce their 
dependence on imperialist Russia. We have more gas than we can use here 
in the United States, and we could sell the gas we don't need to our 
allies in Europe. That would create jobs here in America and help our 
allies overseas.
  The same goes for crude oil.
  Mr. Speaker, my amendment that passed the House Foreign Affairs 
Committee today would require the State Department to submit a report 
to Congress within 90 days on the effect our increased natural gas and 
crude oil exports would have on Russia's economic and political 
influence over Ukraine and other European nations.
  Ukraine has to get their oil and gas from someplace. Let's have them 
buy American and make the Russian bear Putin and his energy irrelevant.
  And that's just the way it is.

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