[Page H5967]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                       THE WAR ON COAL IN MONTANA

  (Mr. GIANFORTE asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GIANFORTE. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to bring this body's 
attention to a war on coal that jeopardizes our Montana communities, 
jobs, and economy.
  Environmental extremists want to eliminate the diversity of Montana's 
energy generation. Their radical agenda threatens our Montana way of 
life, particularly in eastern Montana.
  This week, the Montana Chamber Foundation released a report that 
reveals the alarming impact a continued war on coal would have in 
Montana.
  If Colstrip's Units 3 and 4 were closed prematurely, the impact would 
be devastating to Montana. Montana would lose about 3,300 jobs. Our 
State's population would shrink by 7,000 individuals. Montanans would 
lose over $5 billion in income and all Montanans would face higher 
electricity prices. Also, the loss of this source of reliable baseload 
power would threaten the stability of our electric grid.
  Mr. Speaker, it is time to end this war on coal once and for all. 
Montanans, our communities, and our economy require that we not raise 
the white flag.

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