Appalachian Regional Development Act Amendments of 2008
APPALACHIAN REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT ACT AMENDMENTS OF 2008 -- (House of Representatives - July 15, 2008)
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Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlewoman for yielding this time.
I rise in support of this bill. I have seen over the years a great deal of good work that has gone on by the Appalachian Regional Commission and the projects it has funded in its 13-State region and especially in my home State of Tennessee where much of their activities have been concentrated.
I read recently that two-thirds of the counties in the U.S. are losing population. That surprises people in my particular district because the Knoxville area has become one of the most popular places to move to in the whole country. But there are many counties in Tennessee and throughout the Appalachian region and many small towns and rural areas that are still struggling. Many of these small towns and rural areas are barely holding on.
The previous speaker mentioned more energy production. We've got to have more production of oil in this country or we're going to put the final nail in the coffin of the small towns and the rural areas because those people as a rule have to drive further distances to go to work and to meet other needs.
In addition, the Office of Surface Mining caused almost all the small coal companies in east Tennessee to go out of business. I was told at one time that in 1978 there were 157 small coal companies in east Tennessee, and now are there none. I have noticed over the years that most of these environmental radicals come from very wealthy and very upper-income families. And they have always wanted gas to go higher, and they have always opposed all types of energy production. Well maybe they can afford $5 and $6-per-gallon gasoline. But most lower and middle-income people in this country can't. It may be true that we can't drill our way out of the current crisis. But we also can't get out of the crisis that we're in on energy without having more drilling for oil in this country and more production of coal where it can be done in environmentally safe ways where it couldn't be done previously.
So I agree with the previous speaker that we need more domestic energy production in this country to help the Appalachian Region and also to further the activities of the Appalachian Regional Commission.
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