Congressman Doug Lamborn (CO-05) yesterday delivered the keynote address to the American Coal Council’s Annual Coal Market Strategies Conference in Colorado Springs. Lamborn stressed the importance of coal in creating jobs and fueling America's economic recovery.

Congressman Lamborn chairs the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Minerals Resources.

Highlights:

Jobs:

"More than 130,000 Americans depend on coal production for their livelihood." 

Historical perspective:

"Coal was instrumental in the rise of the United States as a nation. It helped fuel the United States ascent to economic greatness.  We became an industrialized force to be reckoned with and the greatest and largest economy on the face of the Earth.  It is in no small part due to development of our abundant natural resources that America... won world wars and raised our standard of living far above most other countries. This would not have been possible without coal." 

Impact today:

"Today, coal keeps the United States strong by providing low-cost electricity that allows us to remain a leader in an increasingly competitive and challenging global economy.  Coal supplies about one-half of our electricity needs in this country. It provides well-paying jobs for hundreds of thousands of Americans in the coal, rail, and electric utility sectors.  Coal is the backbone of our baseload power fleet. It is reliable and it is cheap and it is ours." 

War on Coal & Jobs:

"There are some, however, who have resolved to inhibit the production and use of coal and other hydrocarbons. Through burdensome and onerous regulations, they have waged a war on coal."

"The Administration is now purposefully limiting public comment opportunities and rushing forward with a rule that, by its own admission, will cost thousands of jobs. According to the Administration’s own documents from the draft environmental impact statement, the proposed rule could cost at least 7,000 jobs and reduce production in 22 states. These are 7,000 high paying family-wage-jobs with good benefits in the Appalachian states and other rural areas of the country. With 7,000 breadwinners losing their jobs, the proposed rule will send 28,000 people into poverty, and this is a conservative estimate."

"Since this administration took office, the Department of the Interior has consistently taken steps to reduce access to domestic energy and mineral resources on federal lands, even including, ironically enough, renewable resources like wind and solar." 

Energy Independence:

"Increasing access to these resources will allow us to become less dependent on foreign sources of energy and minerals, create new private sector jobs, and add revenue to government treasuries, thus reducing the national debt and thereby increasing our national and economic security."

Economic Strength & Stability:

"The United States is a nation rich in energy resources.  There’s absolutely no question that developing these resources will help this country become more stable economically."

To read the entire speech, click here.

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