Nuclear Regulatory Commission Reorganization Plan Codification and Complements Act

Madam Chair, I yield myself 5 minutes.

I thank Chairman Simpson for his leadership.

This energy, water, and nuclear security bill is liberty's business. It is about national nuclear security, about energy security, about jobs and economic growth here at home through upgrading our ports, preventing flooding, assuring fresh water from coast to coast, and inventing the new energy technologies required to reposition America for energy security in our homeland for a new century. Bottom line: our bill is about the business of ensuring liberty for our country.

The United States entered this 21st century with a net reliance on foreign oil. Renewed conflicts in Iraq, Ukraine's Crimea, and Syria once again warn us that U.S. energy dependence on imported product remains our chief strategic vulnerability. Throughout the last century, American reliance on foreign oil grew dangerously. Our share of imports in the Nation's total energy supply rose from 42 percent in 1990 to more than 50 percent by 1998 and, frankly, keeps bobbing between 40 and 50 percent now. It consumes over half of the trade deficit we hold with the world. This energy dependence seriously weakens America.

As Michael Klare states in his book, ``Blood and Oil'':

Every economic recession since World War II has come on the

heels of a petroleum shortage.

I would add, the millions of lost jobs associated with those recessions has harmed America gravely.

Just since 2003, the United States has spent $2.3 trillion-- trillion--importing foreign petroleum. At a price per barrel of $100, the total bill for America importing oil over the next 25 years could cost us over $10 trillion. That is $10 trillion of hemorrhage of U.S. wealth, millions of lost jobs, and the economic muscle that goes with it.

If you want to understand why our middle class is shrinking and more people are falling into poverty, just look at the energy trade deficit this country endures and has endured for a quarter century. Those numbers clearly demonstrate the lost energy opportunity inside our own Nation. We are ceding wealth, jobs, economic power, and our national security. If you really want to understand why America has developed a horrendous budget deficit, you had best take a look at the energy trade deficit as a major cause of our condition as we have ceded our wealth elsewhere. In fact, the entirety of our committee bill at $34 billion cannot begin to compensate for the over $200 billion in imported foreign oil that will pour into our country this year alone--eight times more than the value of our bill.

Recent natural gas discoveries and added domestic oil drilling provide our Nation with some breathing room, but only for a while, as these supplies are not endless--they are precious--to help us as we transition to a broad, diversified energy portfolio that captures the energy wealth here for our Nation.

Congress must lead our Nation to restore energy security and greater prosperity for our Nation through the innovation that this bill incentivizes. The horizontal drilling technologies that are creating a boom in domestic natural gas discoveries were made possible by research done through our bill at the Department of Energy.

America must invest in our own energy future across all energy sectors. We must restore some of our lost economic luster. Alternatively, if we cede our future to China, Russia, and Singapore, we will have missed the call of our generation.

A focus on high-impact energy research at the Department through renewable technologies, advanced energy, and applied energy are critical, as well as funding for the Advanced Manufacturing Office to lead us to a new era of energy and job creation.

Further, the increased allocation for the Corps of Engineers is vital to restore our infrastructure, supporting thousands of jobs in economic growth as we upgrade our fresh water systems while our Nation adapts to climate change and more parched places as deserts grow in places we thought were easily habitable.

Though our bill provides $5.492 billion to support the Corps, keep in mind there are no new starts in it, and there are over $60 billion worth of project requests that are backlogged that we simply can't address. Imagine what potential job creation could be induced coast to coast by meeting this massive Corps backlog.

The bill before us today takes a modest step forward in diversifying America's energy sources. Frankly, based on the challenge facing our Nation for almost a third of a century now, this bill's bottom line should be tripled to get us faster to a solution for liberty and security. We know with energy conservation and additional innovation we can meet our goal, but our imperative must be sooner rather than later. Our generation should make it easier for the next generation, not hand the problem to them.

I do have concerns with amounts provided to certain accounts within the nonproliferation activities of the National Security Agency and the Defense Environmental Cleanup account, where, despite the chairman's best efforts, the subcommittee's allocation was simply insufficient to address the many competing needs.

I yield myself an additional 10 seconds.

I look forward to the debate and working with Chairman Simpson, a gracious chairman, to complete the task before us to strengthen liberty as she encounters the challenges of a new era.

I want to thank Rob Blair and Taunja Berquam, our able staff, for moving us to this point.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I yield 6 minutes to the gentlewoman from New York (Mrs. Lowey), the ranking member of our full committee.

Madam Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from New Mexico (Ms. Michelle Lujan Grisham), a member of the Agriculture, Budget, and Oversight Committees.

Madam Chair, I yield such time as he may consume to my colleague from California (Mr. Lowenthal) for the purpose of a colloquy.

Will the gentleman yield?

I thank the gentleman for raising this important issue. I agree we should set our public transparency standards high when looking at taxpayer-funded projects. A portion of the risk-based data management activity is intended to be used for improving FracFocus, and as we move forward I will work with the gentleman to ensure that our intent is included in the conference report language.

Madam Chair, I would like to inquire as to the time remaining.

Madam Chair, I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I continue to reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I would like to inquire if the gentleman is ready to close.

I am prepared to close, Mr. Chairman, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Chairman, an energy-hungry world will continue to push up global energy prices and availability. America must not get caught in this ensuing juggernaut. Our liberty and economic security truly are at stake. The world is changing and so America must adapt, and adapt sooner rather than later.

Over a quarter century ago, President Jimmy Carter was not wrong when he equated the struggle for energy independence as the moral equivalent of war. America, since, has been engaged in plenty of fighting abroad in oil-rich, unstable regions of our world. Instead, we must refocus and draw forth the powers of our own land, performing something worthy to be remembered, as Daniel Webster reminds us every day. Energy security is such a calling.

Certainly, this bill leaves unmet opportunities on the table--too much, in my view--but its direction is clear. It aims at liberty. It looks forward to meeting that objective by moving this bill forward.

I want to thank Chairman Simpson, Rob Blair, Taunja Berquam, and our entire staff for their willingness to work together, for preparing a bill that is inclusive and pragmatic. I appreciate Chairman Simpson's gentlemanly reach out to our side of the aisle.

I also want to thank all the staff who helped. Their countless long hours, late nights during holidays and so forth, and their thoughtful insights have been critical to helping us prepare this legislation that is aimed at restoring liberty, creating jobs in America, reassuming economic power here at home, strengthening our energy portfolio and water security for future generations, and, fundamentally, our national security.

I ask our colleagues as we move through the amendment process to help us move this bill forward in America's interest.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

I wanted to thank the gentleman from the Lake Okeechobee region of Florida (Mr. Murphy) and the gentleman from Missouri (Mr. Cleaver) for the very effective manner in which they have handled themselves in bringing this to our attention. And I want to thank the chair for accepting this important amendment, which is so important to Florida.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 4923, and that I may include tabular material on the same.

Madam Chair, it is my distinct honor to present the fiscal year 2015 Energy and Water bill for consideration before the full House. I would like to recognize the efforts of our chairman, Mr. Rogers, and Ranking Member Lowey to bring this bill to the floor. Their efforts to bring the appropriations process back to regular order ensures that our Federal discretionary spending receives the full scrutiny of this body and our committee process.

I would also like to thank Ranking Member Kaptur for all of her work. Her contributions and advice have made this legislation stronger.

The bill before us totals $34.01 billion for activities for the Department of Energy, Army Corps of Engineers, Bureau of Reclamation, and other agencies under our jurisdiction. This is a $50 million reduction from last year's funding levels.

The bill prioritizes investments in this Nation's infrastructure and national defense. As we do each year, we worked hard to incorporate priorities and perspectives from both sides of the aisle.

For instance, this bill overcomes the budget request's proposed cut of nearly $1 billion to the critical programs of the Army Corps of Engineers. The request would have led to economic disruptions at our ports and waterways as our ports and waterways filled in and would have left our communities and businesses vulnerable to flooding. Instead, this bill recognizes the critical work of the Corps and provides $5.492 billion for these activities, $959 million above the request and $25 million above last year.

This bill takes a strong stand against government overreach by prohibiting changes to the definitions of the ``waters of the United States'' and ``fill material.''

The bill also provides $11.361 billion for the automatic security, nonproliferation, and naval reactors programs of the National Nuclear Security Administration, a $154 million increase from fiscal year 2014.

This bill is clear about our concerns with Russia's recent activities in Eastern Europe. It eliminates all new funding for nonproliferation funding in Russia and requires that, before the Secretary of Energy funds any activity in Russia, he must certify that the activity is in our national security interests.

Madam Chairman, Russia's activities in Ukraine have shown once again how important our nuclear security umbrella is to our allies. We have also seen how Russia has used Ukraine's reliance on natural gas to put pressure on its new leadership. The movements by insurgents to occupy Iraq threaten to drive oil prices through the roof.

Our country has abundant natural energy resources, and it is our national security and economic interest to ensure that they are fully and responsibly used. That is why this bill makes a strong, balanced investment in our energy sector to ensure that our constituents continue to have reliable, affordable energy.

Fossil energy, which provided more than 71 percent of our electricity production in 2013, receives $593 million, a $31 million increase above fiscal year 2014. Nuclear energy is increased by $10 million above last year. Energy efficiency and renewable energy is slightly reduced by $113 million from last year. This balanced investment prioritizes improvements to energy sources that we rely upon today while making long-term investments in alternative energy sources.

I appreciate the full committee's attention to this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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Madam Chair, I now yield as much time as he may consume to the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers), the chairman of the full committee.

Madam Chair, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Hastings) for the purpose of a colloquy.

Will the gentleman yield?

First, I would like to thank the gentleman from Washington for his continued advocacy of Hanford cleanup funding in the Energy and Water bill. His leadership on these issues will be sorely missed in the future.

I am pleased to support funding for the cleanup of the River Corridor, and I am hopeful that the Department of Energy will soon provide the necessary details for the Waste Treatment Plant project. WTP is a critical project, but Congress needs more answers and greater transparency.

I look forward to working with you to make sure adequate funding is available should a new agreement on the path forward be reached.

Madam Chair, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Nevada (Mr. Amodei) for the purpose of a colloquy.

I thank the gentleman. I look forward to working with you to making sure adequate funding is available to support the needs of our nuclear weapons stockpile and to receiving more information on the Department of Energy's proposal to construct this new capability.

Madam Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Kansas (Mr. Huelskamp).

Madam Chair, it is now my pleasure to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Weber).

I thank the gentleman from Texas for highlighting the importance of allocating sufficient resources to the maintenance of our waterways and harbors.

It is for this very reason that he articulated that the bill being considered today increases funding for navigation maintenance by 18 percent above the budget request.

Madam Chair, I agree that Congress needs to hold the administration accountable in this regard, and I promise to work with the gentleman to ensure that we prioritize maintenance funding for all of our Nation's economically and strategically significant waterways and harbors.

Madam Chair, it is my pleasure to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Terry).

Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and I yield to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Rogers) for the purpose of a colloquy.

I would like to thank the gentleman from Alabama for his continued advocacy for the important national security activities funded in the Energy and Water bill, which includes the Naval Reactors program.

Madam Chair, as the appropriations process continues, I look forward to working with him and his colleagues on the Armed Services Committee, to ensure that Naval Reactors receives the funding it requires to sustain, support, and to modernize the nuclear fleet.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Madam Chair, I would like to inquire how much time is remaining.

Madam Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume, and at this time, I yield to the gentleman from New Mexico (Mr. Ben Ray Lujan) for the purpose of a colloquy.

Madam Chair, I would like to thank the gentleman from New Mexico for his continued advocacy of the cleanup program at Los Alamos.

I look forward to working with you on ensuring that adequate funding is available to support the Department of Energy's cleanup program, including the cleanup work at Los Alamos and the restoration of operations at WIPP.

I thank the gentleman, and I reserve the balance of my time.

I believe we have two more speakers.

Madam Chair, it is now my pleasure to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Roskam).

Madam Chair, it is my pleasure to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from West Virginia (Mrs. Capito).

Mr. Chairman, I would inform the gentlewoman that we have no more speakers, and if the gentlewoman is ready to close, I will close.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman for her work on this bill. She has been a valuable partner in crafting a bill.

In trying to address the needs of all Members on both sides of the aisle, obviously you can never address all of them, but I think both the Republican and Democratic members of the committee and of the House ought to be proud of the bill that is before them and our efforts to try to address their desires and their needs.

With that, I would encourage all Members to support this legislation. I look forward to the debate on the amendments that are going to be coming up.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I claim time in opposition, although I am not opposed to amendment.

Mr. Chairman, we support the amendment and thank the good lady for offering it.

I yield back the balance of my time.

We will accept the amendment.

I thank the chairman.

Madam Chair, yesterday, we received a letter and white paper from the Chief of Naval Operations and the Director of the Naval Reactors program. I will include these documents and statement for the Record that I will be submitting shortly.

This eight-star letter from our Nation's most senior naval officer makes clear that the cuts made to the Naval Reactors' budget request over the last 4 years are endangering the safety and reliability of the Navy's nuclear fleet.

With the 12 percent reduction proposed by the bill before us today, Naval Reactors will have taken over $600 million in cuts over 5 years.

The letter from the admiral is clear:

The persistent cuts have put Naval Reactors in the position

of being unable to provide for a safe and reliable nuclear

fleet, to design and test the nuclear reactor plant for the

Ohio replacement program, and to safely and responsibly

manage the aging infrastructure and the facilities for

processing naval spent nuclear fuel. This approach is no

longer sustainable.

Naval Reactors is a critical defense priority contained in this much larger appropriations bill. I share the admiral's concern that, if sustained, these reductions will endanger national security and the Naval Reactors' unparalleled 60-year record of safe and reliable nuclear operations.

I urge the gentleman from Idaho to review these proposed reductions and their impacts as this bill progresses and to restore the Naval Reactors' funding to the budget request level in a conference or in a potential continuing resolution.

I and my colleagues on the Armed Services Committee stand ready to support these efforts.

Department of the Navy,

Washington, DC, July 7, 2014.

Hon. Howard P. ``Buck'' McKeon,

Chairman, Committee on Armed Services, House of

Representatives, Washington, DC.

Dear Mr. Chairman: We write today to express our strong

concern over proposed cuts to Naval Reactors' (NR's) portion

of the FY15 National Nuclear Security Administration budget

request.

Our Navy and our national security rely on a nuclear Fleet

of 10 aircraft carriers and 73 submarines, including our 14

Ohio-Class ballistic missile submarines--over 40 percent of

our major combatants. These warships form the backbone of our

Navy, enabled by the 93 reactors that power them--reactors

provided, operated, and regulated solely by NR. NR has been

doing this for our nation for over 60 years, compiling over

166 million miles safely steamed on nuclear power--it is an

unmatched record of safety and effectiveness.

The funding level proposed in H.R. 4923, the Energy and

Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act,

2015, proposes reducing NR's funding below the request by

$162 million which places operation of that nuclear Fleet

including sustained carrier operations and the nation's

security at risk. If enacted, this would be the fifth

consecutive year of significant marks to NR's requests for

funding. To date, these reductions below requested levels

have totaled over $450 million; this bill would bring that

total to well over $600 million. These shortfalls have

resulted in delaying the construction of needed facilities,

effectively halting research and development, and deferring

procurement of equipment needed to address emergent fleet

issues. The persistent cuts have put NR in the position of

being unable to provide for a safe and reliable nuclear

fleet, design and test the reactor plant for the OHIO

Replacement Program, and safely and responsibly manage aging

infrastructure and the facilities for processing naval spent

nuclear fuel. This approach is no longer sustainable.

Moreover, the bill includes a number of provisions on the

use of funds, continuing a trend that reduces NR's ability to

manage the Program consistent with the priorities of safe and

reliable operation of the fleet.

As the Committee moves forward with H.R. 4923, we

respectfully ask that you consider full funding for NR at the

FY15 budget request and removal of restrictive provisions on

the expenditure of funds. This is essential for continued

operation of the nation's nuclear-powered fleet now and into

the future.

An identical letter has been sent to Representatives

Rogers, Frelinghuysen, and Simpson; and Senators Mikulski and

Levin.

Sincerely,

John M. Richardson,

Admiral, U.S. Navy, Director, Naval Nuclear Propulsion

Program.

Jonathan W. Greenert,

Admiral, U.S. Navy, Chief of Naval Operations.

Madam Chairwoman, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

This is a balanced bill. It makes important investments in our Nation's nuclear defense capabilities, as well as the water infrastructure and energy resources that keep the economy moving. It does so in a fiscally sound manner, finding ways to save taxpayer dollars wherever possible.

First and foremost, this legislation prioritizes national security by increasing funding for nuclear weapons programs above last year's level to support the safety and readiness of our nuclear stockpiles. Maintaining this Nation's nuclear deterrence posture remains critical to our safety, particularly during a time of global instability and increasing risks of future nuclear threats.

Next, this bill includes investments in our water infrastructure that will also help grow our economy, facilitate trade and commerce, and ensure the well-being of the Nation. Recognizing the importance of what the Army Corps of Engineers does, we have rejected the administration's proposed cuts to these programs, providing nearly $1 billion more than requested and $25 million above last year's levels. That funding will allow the Corps to continue its important work performing flood mitigation, updating dam safety, and improving our waterways to facilitate increased import and export capability.

Within the Department of Energy, the bill prioritizes funding for programs that encourage economic competitiveness and energy independence and that help promote an all-of-the-above solution to the Nation's energy needs. By making sound investments in coal, natural gas, and other fossil energy sources, we are moving our Nation closer to a balanced energy portfolio, as well as keeping down energy costs for hardworking Americans across the country.

To make these important investments, the bill targets lower priority programs for cuts. For example, renewable energy programs with the Department of Energy are cut by $113 million from last year's levels. By implementing these types of savings and including stringent oversight requirements for the DOE, the Army Corps, and other Federal agencies, we have produced a bill that will support economic growth and security, while encouraging the government to act with greater efficiency.

The legislation also puts the brakes on the administration's destructive and misguided regulatory agenda that threatens our Nation's small businesses and other industries. For example, within this bill, we have included a

provision prohibiting the unnecessary expansion of Federal jurisdiction over our Nation's waterways.

At one of the subcommittee's many hearings about the Federal budget just a few weeks ago, the Assistant Secretary for the Corps could not provide clear answers as to how much these regulations would cost the American taxpayer, how many man-hours it would take to implement, and how such a change would affect this struggling economy. Since the Corps plainly has no idea what it is doing with this rule, it would be irresponsible, if not disastrous, to allow such a change to move forward.

The bill also stops the administration from changing the definition of ``fill material,'' an action that could drastically alter Federal regulations and could effectively shut down coal and other mining operations throughout the country. While this proposal is very troubling on many levels, I am most concerned about the unknown costs of this large-scale, invasive change. This is the type of overzealous, unneeded regulation that will harm, not help, the economy in this very sensitive time.

Madam Chairwoman, before I close, I want to thank Chairman Simpson-- this is his maiden voyage as chair of this subcommittee--and Ranking Member Kaptur and all of the subcommittee and the staff for their hard work on the bill, and I want to commend Chairman Simpson for a job well done on his first bill as chairman of the Energy and Water Subcommittee.

This is a good bill. It reflects smart budget decisions to invest tax dollars in effective, necessary programs that will help keep our Nation safe and our economy growing. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the bill.

Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, my amendment would provide a $500,000 increase for the Army Corps of Engineers Continuing Authorities Program, or CAP, and would pay for the increase with a small $500,000 cut from the Department of Energy's departmental administration account. For small communities struggling to pay for $25,000 projects, this minor amendment can be a major help around the country.

The CAP program allows for funding of small local projects without the lengthy study and authorization process typical of most larger Corps projects. The program funds projects dealing with issues like stream bank erosion, navigation improvements, and flood control, and it is incredibly important to local communities that cannot afford to fund these studies and projects on their own.

Two specific sections of the program are vitally important to my district: section 205, which deals with flood control, and section 14, which deals with stream bank erosion.

The city of Peru, Indiana, lives within an area designated as a floodplain because of a ditch that runs through it, but the ditch hasn't flooded in the entire time the city has been keeping records, which is more than 80 years. This floodplain designation has made insurance premiums so expensive, business developers are reluctant to locate to the area and residents are struggling to pay their premiums.

Corps engineers have been to the site, and they don't think the floodplain is correct either. The ditch hasn't flooded. So CAP funds are desperately needed in places like Peru, Indiana, so the Corps can conduct a study to determine whether the ditch really is ever likely to flood and, if so, what type of project could be done to prevent flooding and bring down flood insurance premiums.

In a place called Rochester, Indiana, the Tippecanoe River runs along a stretch of East County Road 350 North. The river is eroding soil from underneath the road, and over the last decade, the road has lost several feet of its

embankment. The situation has become so dangerous authorities have closed the road until it can be fixed. An examination is needed to determine how to stop this stream bank erosion, and then a project must be able to be done to fix it. County officials can't afford to conduct the study or repairs on their own.

The Army Corps of Engineers said they can conduct the examination and repairs, but CAP funds are needed. However, the Continuing Authorities Program is so popular with local communities like Peru and Rochester, the Corps of Engineers routinely receives many more projects than it can fund, and CAP funds for the year run out quickly.

Chairman Simpson and his staff have worked hard to address this problem and put together a great bill. President Obama's budget request only provided $10 million for CAP and only funded four of the CAP sections, but Chairman Simpson rejected that devastating cut and has allocated $56.8 million for eight CAP sections. My amendment would provide a small funding bump for CAP that would enable the Army Corps of Engineers to help dozens of communities making very small funding requests.

Some people will say that the Department of Energy can't afford another cut to its administrative funding, but that is simply not true. This year's bill provides $255 million for the Department of Energy's departmental administration budget. This is $20.5 million more than last year. My amendment would only cut $500,000 from this amount. That is a 0.19 percent cut. Given the enormous importance of local infrastructure, I believe this is one very small cut that Congress should make.

I urge my colleagues to support this amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank the chairman and the ranking member. I appreciate the work that has gone into this bill, and I appreciate your willingness to accept my amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.