More than 5500 concerned citizens organised by the American Petroleum Institute (API) and other partners, on the 1st September, attended three Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»˜Rally for JobsÂ鶹´«Ã½Ó³»™ events held in Houston, Port Arthur and Corpus Christi.
The rallies were an opportunity for the millions of men and women whose livelihoods depend on the oil and natural gas industry, as well as the countless consumers who rely on access to affordable energy, to express their concerns about harmful proposals being considered in Congress. The Texas rallies were the first in a series of seven rallies that will take place in five states during the congressional recess period.
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Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»˜Today energy citizens in Texas sent a clear signal to Congress that lawmakers should focus their efforts on reviving our economy and creating more jobs,Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»™ said API President and CEO Jack Gerard. Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»˜US unemployment is high and Americans are increasingly concerned about the slow place of economic recovery.Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»™
The oil and natural gas industry supports more than 1.7 million jobs in Texas and accounts for almost 25% of the stateÂ鶹´«Ã½Ó³»™s economy. Nationwide, the industry supports more than 9.2 million jobs, accounts for 7.5% of the US economy, and has invested nearly US$ 2 trillion in US capital projects since 2000. Oil and natural gas development is critical to the economic future of Texas and the entire nation.
Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»˜With these rallies, we are reminding Congress and the public of the vital role that oil and natural gas play, and will continue to play, in our nationÂ鶹´«Ã½Ó³»™s energy and economic future,Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»™ Gerard said. Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»˜We must ensure that policies are not implemented that would jeopardise jobs, threaten our nationÂ鶹´«Ã½Ó³»™s energy security and limit our ability to produce the energy this country needs.Â鶹´«Ã½Ó³»™