Joe Barton is WRONG about exporting our Oil!
PRESS RELEASE by Cozad for Congress
Press Contact: Faith Chatham
cozadforcongress{at}gmail.com
website: www.cozadforcongress.org
Twitter: Cozad-TX6
Statement by David E. Cozad, Democratic Nominee for US Congress TX6
Congressman Joe Barton recently stated: "I'm in favor of overturning the ban on crude oil exports."
Mr Barton is wrong on this. Most of his fellow Republicans in the House are afraid to come out in public with their position. As the Democratic Nominee for U.S. Congress for the Texas 6th District, currently occupied by Congressman Barton, I differ with Barton because lifting of the ban on exporting crude oil jeopardizes our national security and risks damaging our national economy.
I will stand and debate Congressman Barton on why this ban is in the best interest of the people of the United States, and especially to the people of the 6th District of Texas. I believe that the people deserve to weigh and evaluate the positions and priorities of the men and women who seek to serve them for the next two years in the United States Congress. Mr. Barton has avoided facing his opponents in open forums for decades. I challenge him, for the good of the country and the district, to have the integrity to step forward and debate me. Hugh Chauvin (L) and David Cozad (D) will debate at UTA in October. We are waiting to see if Congressman Barton will join us. The debate will go on with or without him.
In preparation for our debate, here are some points the incumbent from the Texas 6th District should consider:
1. In 1974, after the Energy Department of the US government discovered that Peak Oil was real, it was decided the US should always have first call on any and all crude oil produced in the US to protect our economy and our national defense. Peak Oil occurred in the USA in the late 1970s. At the time, no one knew exactly when global peak oil would occur, but it was expected to occur within a few decades. Now we know it occurred in late 2005 or early 2006. It was the primary reason why oil hit $147 per barrel in 2008.
2. Although the US has used its military, diplomatic, and financial power to wring crude oil out of the rest of the world, the ability to do that is about to permanently change. Despite the disinformation given to government regulators and intense political lobbying and massive expenditures in donations by Big Oil and with the help from their bought and paid for officials such as Congressman Joe Barton, the United States developed the real data that indicates the US will sustain a new sub Peak during the 2016 - 2019 period. This is when the production rate of oil produced by fracking will falter and then begin a long and permanent decline.
3. Since the oil fairy has not waved its magic wand to produce a totally new supply of crude oil, the decline will be permanent. This means we had better keep the oil we have, no matter what price it can be sold for on the global market.
Mr. Barton, when it comes to exporting our limited supply of crude, (and liquefied natural gas) it is time for Wall Street to bow to Main Street!
The US military is working very hard to convert its equipment to use renewable power sources. Until that is done, we will need every drop of crude oil to keep our aircraft flying, our tanks rolling, and our ships under way. If you were wondering why President Obama has been so reluctant to engage our military in a big way in new conflicts, it is because we don't have the oil to waste on another misadventure in the Middle East or Ukraine.
On the domestic front, the decline of oil production will have severe impact on our economy especially on transportation where 80% of our oil is used. President Obama has been working very hard on the need to start replacing our use of oil with electricity in the form of new technology for batteries to be used in electric cars, light trucks, and buses. But the hard part is where do we get the electricity to power those batteries? For now, we are relying on natural gas, but the production of natural gas is almost totally dependent on fracking of shale. And the production of natural gas by fracking has the same fate as oil, but its decline rates will be even more severe. The data indicates the peak production rate of shale gas is somewhere in the period 2022 and 2026. The only source of enough electricity to replace oil and natural gas is solar. And it is the only source we can build fast enough.
Mr. Barton, was any of this new to you? Or did you just ignore it and continue prioritizing the interests of foreign governments and corporate investors over the security and economic interests of the people of our district and this nation?
Do you think you are on the wrong side of this debate? I do.
(Data from which I have drawn my conclusions will be provided upon your request.)
David E. Cozad
Democratic Nominee for U.S. Congress, Texas 6th District
