Jumpstart Our Business Strength (JOBS) Act - Continued

JUMPSTART OUR BUSINESS STRENGTH (JOBS) ACT-CONTINUED

Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, we talk about energy all the time. There is a certain, not confusion but a real consternation about what is going on in the Senate right now and why we can't get specific provisions of the Energy bill through the Senate.

We understand energy in Alaska, whether it is gas or whether it is oil, whether it is renewable energy or thermal. What we have before us is an opportunity to make some of the energy policy a reality in the country.

Last week I had the opportunity to testify before the House Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality about the proposed Alaskan natural gas pipeline. I talked about the role which this pipeline can play in meeting the needs of some very critical areas in the country-specifically, our national security, the health of our economy, job creation, and achieving and maintaining a healthy environment for ourselves and our families.

Whether we are talking about the creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs across the Nation from this project or providing a secure and stable domestic supply of energy, whether it is providing the critical feedstock we have heard about on the floor here today at a reasonable price for the chemical, agricultural, and other important sectors of the economy or providing an abundance of clean-burning, environmentally friendly fuel, there is no doubt about it, this project is not only in the best interests of Alaska, my State, but across the entire country.

As we talk about the project in Alaska, it has been suggested with the price of natural gas as it is, we don't need to have the incentives that are included in this legislation before us right now. With the specific proposals which are pending, why do we need the incentive? Yes, in fact, the proposals are out there, but they will tell you we need the assistance. They have stressed the necessity of Congress enacting the fiscal incentives contained in this bill in order for construction of the pipeline to go forward.

We need these provisions to achieve all of the positives a gas pipeline has to offer. It is essentially a futures contract with the American people. We provide the incentive to build the pipeline and you will receive all the benefits the gas pipeline has to offer. The Alaska natural gas pipeline is one of those rare examples of a project that is a win from every perspective. It helps us achieve our environmental goals, it helps the economy by creating a great number of good-paying jobs, and it enhances our national security. But if the McCain amendment is adopted and the energy tax provisions are stripped from this bill, the relief Alaska's natural gas can provide remains stuck in the ground.

I urge my colleagues to oppose the McCain amendment and retain the financial incentives needed to construct the Alaska natural gas pipeline.