Medicare CGM Coverage Act

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

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to set a standard for answering the call of 500,000 to 800,000 jobs being created by 2020 that addresses the work in our ongoing and growing energy industry.

Mr. Chairman, I would like to thank the Natural Resources Committee chairman, Mr. Hastings, and Ranking Member DeFazio for their leadership on diversifying our employment base. I also want to wish the chairman well as he moves on to other endeavors. He will be missed on his insight.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to speak in support of the Jackson Lee Amendment No. 9 to H.R. 4899. The Congress has an affirmative duty to increase diversity in Federal Government as there is an undeniable lack of participation for veterans, women, and minorities in regards to employment, entrepreneurial, and ownership opportunity.

The Jackson Lee Amendment No. 9 to H.R. 4899 directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish an office of energy employment and training to create economic opportunities that support the agency's hiring and training of veterans, women, and underrepresented minorities. It sets the standard for the private sector.

Mr. Chairman, as a Member of Congress from Houston, the energy capital of the Nation, I have always been mindful of the importance of having strongly advocated for national energy policies--really, all of the above--and to make our Nation energy independent, preserve and create jobs, and keep our Nation's economy strong.

The recent increase in production of unconventional oil and natural gas has provided a lift to the U.S. economy, and Americans are seeing the benefits not only because of the jobs created, but also because household incomes have gone up. It is up to us to have the regulatory structure that protects the

environment but also provides the opportunity for growth and creates jobs.

Mr. Chairman, I would be remiss if I did not point out that both the chairman and ranking member have been resolute in their pursuit of the expansion of opportunities in the energy industry. I share that commitment with them, and this amendment is an example of what happens when Members work in good faith across the aisle to find viable solutions.

In this amendment, veterans, minorities, and women recognize that they are significantly underrepresented in the oil and gas industries at all levels and severely underrepresented in the senior managerial, professional, board, and ownership ranks. U.S. competitiveness requires that this Nation increase the number of successful underrepresented minorities in STEM education and careers, which is more essential than ever.

A pipeline of qualified veterans looking for employment will play a key role as the energy industry seeks quality, highly skilled workers. I am committed to honoring our obligations to our Nation's veterans and utilizing the talents of veterans to help the government meet today's dynamic challenges.

Mr. Chairman, the Office of Energy Employment and Training will provide an opportunity to align military and utility job classifications, identify veterans with their desired basic skills, access military personnel during the off-boarding process, and hold training programs.

It is interesting to note that in 2013, the number of STEM jobs in North Dakota increased by 37.2 percent as a direct result of the oil and gas boom in that State.

Mr. Chairman, I hope my colleagues will support this amendment.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I want to thank the chairman for his astute reflection on the work that we have done and I have done over the years. I introduced H.R. 70 and H.R. 3710 that dealt with coastal restoration and the utilization of training for our young people and our veterans.

So as I conclude and thank the chairman for his acknowledgment, along with the ranking member, of their work on the committee dealing with diversification, the Jackson Lee amendment will help prepare a diverse population of workers from across the country with diverse backgrounds to enter in exciting and rewarding careers in American energy jobs.

Our Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Centers of Excellence, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Native American-Serving Nontribal Institutions, and women colleges and universities will become engaged by a direct pipeline into the Department of the Interior that will foster collaboration, mentorships, and partnerships through effective job training that will yield employment opportunities. The Department of the Interior will be responsible for fostering diversity in management, employment, and business activities. It will be the light at the end of the tunnel creating a pathway for the 800,000 jobs.

Mr. Chairman, at this time, I would like to put into the Record the Employment Outlook for African Americans and Latinos In the Upstream Oil and Natural Gas Industry.

[An IHS Report, Nov. 2012]

Employment Outlook for African Americans and Latinos in the Upstream

Oil and Natural Gas Industry

(Prepared for the American Petroleum Institute, API)

key findings

Oil and natural gas will remain as the main source of fuel

for decades to come as other forms of energy also become

commercially viable. In fact, in early November 2012, the

International Energy Agency (IEA) projected that the United

States will become the world's top oil producer by 2020 and

that North America would be in a position to export more oil

than it imports by 2030.

These findings underscore the critical importance of the

analysis and findings of a new IHS report entitled Employment

Outlook for African Americans and Latinos in the Upstream Oil

and Natural Gas Industry (2012). Principal findings of the

new IHS report Include:

More than 500,000 jobs projected to be created by 2020 and

over 800,000 jobs created by 2030 in the upstream oil and

natural gas industry under pro-energy development policies.

Job growth would be geographically diverse. Over half of

the job growth, 417 thousand jobs, is expected in the Gulf

region. The East region is expected to contribute nearly 140

thousand job opportunities and the Rockies region nearly 116

thousand job opportunities. The West, Alaska, and Central

regions will combine to contribute approximately 138 thousand

job opportunities.

Central to this analysis is workforce training critical to

the projected U.S. petroleum industry growth to keep the

nation at a competitive advantage and to provide the energy

the nation depends upon. African Americans and Hispanic

Americans represent a critically vital and available talent

pool to help meet the demands of the projected growth and

expansion. For African Americans and Hispanics to be

competitive for the 800,000 potential new jobs it will

require:

Significant improvement in minority preparation in Science,

Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) related

disciplines at the primary and secondary school levels--a

national priority;

Significant improvement in high school completion rates for

Hispanics and African Americans;

Secondary and post-secondary staff (i.e., principals,

deans, teachers, faculty, counselors) should be trained to

inform their students on the workforce opportunities in the

petroleum industry, specifically in the regions identified,

and the training required;

An increase the labor force participation rates of African

Americans and Hispanics;

Sixty-two percent of the job growth are estimated to be in

blue collar jobs that would require a high school diploma and

some additional training such as community college vocational

degrees and certificates;

Twenty-one percent of the job growth will require training

in engineering (petroleum, etc.), geoscience fields,

management, business, and finance, and as technicians;

Partnerships between higher education and industry,

especially at the community college level would yield near

term positive results;

Hispanic and African American students with high school

diplomas and some additional training at community colleges

in skills related to the oil and gas industry are immediately

competitive for current job opportunities;

African American and Hispanic students who successfully

complete college degrees related to the oil and natural gas

industry, e.g., petroleum engineering, would be highly

competitive for workforce placement;

Wages in the upstream oil and natural gas industry, across

many professions, far exceed the national average wage rate;

Some portion of the job opportunities would be in

geographic locations away from segments of minority

populations and may require relocation;

Employment in the oil and gas industry can provide a

reliable means to a better than average quality of life for

Hispanics and African Americans for decades to come.

Both challenges and opportunities exist going forward.

Raising educational achievement for large segments of the

upcoming generation is resource intensive and will take

decades to achieve. However, the payoff of an increased

skilled labor pool would be enormous to society in general

and U.S. industry in particular. This report illustrates

that there are significant opportunities for African

Americans and Hispanics throughout the petroleum industry

currently and well into the future at each level of education

and training.

III. Minority and Female Employment in the Oil & Gas and Petrochemical

Industries in 2010

employment by industry

The three segments of the U.S. oil and gas industry and the

petrochemical industry together employed a total of 1.2

million people in 2010 (see Table III.1).

The upstream segment, with employment of 721 thousand,

accounted for 60% of the total, followed by the downstream

segment with 23%.

African American workers held 98 thousand jobs in these

industries in 2010, accounting for 8.2% of total employment.

Their share within the petrochemical industry was 11.2%.

Hispanic workers held 188 thousand jobs across all four

industry segments--15.7% of the total. They accounted for a

higher share of employment in the upstream segment than in

the other segments.

Table III.1--AFRICAN AMERICAN AND HISPANIC EMPLOYMENT IN THE OIL & GAS AND PETROCHEMICAL INDUSTRIES BY SEGMENT:

2010 TOTAL ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Petro-

Total Upstream Midstream Downstream chemicals ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total........................... 1,198,590 720,911 42,079 279,162 156,438 African American................ 97,789 57,886 2,262 20,043 17,598 Hispanic........................ 188,088 136,265 4,440 28,426 18,957

Minority Shares by Segment Total........................... 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% African American................ 8.2% 8.0% 5.4% 7.2% 11.2% Hispanic........................ 15.7% 18.9% 10.6% 10.2% 12.1%

Shares by Segment in Each Occupation Total........................... 100.0% 60.1% 3.5% 23.3% 13.1% African American................ 100.0% 59.2% 2.3% 20.5% 18.0% Hispanic........................ 100.0% 72.4% 2.4% 15.1% 10.1% ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Employment by Gender

Women accounted for 19% of total employment in the combined

oil and gas and petrochemical industries. Their share is

higher in the downstream and petrochemical segments (25%) and

lower in the upstream and midstream segments (15-16%). (See

Table III.2.)

The female share of employment in these industries is much

lower for the Hispanic population--only 13%.

The incidence of female employment for the African American

population in the oil & gas industry generally mirrors the

nation-wide pattern for the industry, at a share of 19%. In

the midstream industry there is a higher female share.

So, in conclusion, Mr. Chairman, let me indicate that our task here is to create jobs. We understand that there are 300,000 vets that, in fact, may need unemployment insurance. We want them to have jobs, along with women and minorities, and so I would ask my colleagues to accept the Jackson Lee amendment, and I thank the committee.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chair, I would like to thank Natural Resources Committee Chairman Hastings and Ranking Member DeFazio for their leadership and commitment.

I also wish the Chairman well as he moves on to other endeavors. He will be missed.

Mr. Chair, I rise to speak in support of the Jackson Lee Amendment #9 to H.R. 4899, the Lowering Gasoline Prices to Fuel an America that Works Act of 2014.

Congress has an affirmative duty to increase diversity in the federal government as there is an undeniable lack of participation for veterans, women and minorities in regards to employment, entrepreneurial and ownership opportunities.

The Jackson Lee Amendment #9 to H.R. 4899 directs the Secretary of the Interior to establish an Office of Energy Employment and Training to create economic opportunities that support the Agency's hiring and training of veterans, women and underrepresented minorities.

As the Member of Congress from Houston, the energy capital of the nation, I have always been mindful of the importance and have strongly advocated for national energy policies that will make our nation more energy independent, preserve and create jobs, and keep our nation's economy strong.

The recent increase in production of unconventional oil and natural gas has provided a lift to the U.S. economy and Americans are seeing the benefits not only because of the jobs created but also because household incomes have seen an increase as a result of lower energy costs.

I would be remiss if I did not point out that both the Chairman and Ranking Member have been resolute in their pursuit of the expansion of opportunities in the energy industry. I share that commitment with them--and this amendment is an example of what happens when Members work in good-faith across the aisle to find viable solutions.

We all know that while government may not be able to solve all problems--it can be a bridge to solving some--and ``the great mitigator'' for others.

Veterans, minorities and women are significantly underrepresented in the oil and gas industries at all levels and severely underrepresented in the senior managerial, professional, board and ownership ranks. U.S. competitiveness requires that this nation increases the number of successful underrepresented minorities in STEM education and careers, is more essential than ever.

A pipeline of qualified veterans looking for employment could play a key role as the energy industry seeks quality, highly skilled workers. I am committed to honor our obligations to our Nation's veterans; utilize the talents of veterans to help the Government meet today's dynamic challenges; and create a program worthy of emulation by the private sector.

The Office of Energy Employment and Training will provide an opportunity to align military and utility job classifications, identify veterans with the desired basic skills, access military personnel during the off-boarding process and hold training programs specifically for targeted veteran cohorts.

Underrepresented minorities seeking STEM jobs cannot solely rely upon advanced degree programs, but must be able to pursue a number of routes to good paying STEM jobs. A highly focused area for STEM education and job opportunities can be found in the oil and gas industry.

For example, 2001-13 the number of STEM jobs in North Dakota increased by 37.2 percent as a direct result of the oil and gas boom

in that state. North Dakota exceeded the nation in life, physical and social science technicians and the state is close to the national average for engineering technicians, physical scientists and life scientists.

Nationally, in 2010 there were 1.2 million people employed in the oil and gas industry of those persons only: 98,000 or 8.2% are African Americans; 188,000 or 15.7% are Hispanics; and 225,687 jobs or 19% are women.

The 2014 report prepared by the American Petroleum Institute states the oil and gas industry and petrochemical industry could create between 940,000 to 1.3 million employment opportunities between now and 2030.

Only a small fraction of these new jobs will come as a result of retirements.

The major factor for employment demands for the oil and gas industry is natural growth that will occur and investment by the industry and the influence of energy demand by a growing economy.

There a significantly larger number and variety of good paying jobs in the oil and gas industry. In 2011, the average oil field worker earned $35,590, slightly higher than the national average; those working in natural gas distribution earned an average of $38,870 per year. The states with the highest pay included Alaska, at $48,370; Montana at $45,870 per year; Wyoming, at $41,130; and North Dakota, at $40,340 per year.

Minorities comprise 26% of the oil and gas labor force in 2010 and that number is expected to grow to 325 by 2030. In 2010 women were 17% of the oil and gas labor force and their number is expected to drop to less than 15% in 2030.

The lower employment prospects for women are a direct consequence of the extreme level of underrepresentation in the energy sector.

A closer look at the employment prospects for minorities' reveals that African-Americans like are projected to experience a decline in employment in the oil and gas industry due to underrepresentation of African Americans.

The level of underrepresentation of minorities and women is reflected in oil and gas industry senior and professional ranks. Minorities comprise 15% of management and professionals working in the oil and gas industry and are projected to comprise 17% by 2030.

When compared to all blue collar jobs2-minorities make up 21% of the jobs, and in 2010 they comprised 38% of blue collar jobs.

Women do slightly better with a 24% in 2010, and are expected to hold this percentage of the blue collar job market to 2030.

Our booming energy sector has been one of the greatest American success stories in the last decade, and remains a bright spot in our economy as it continue to fuel job creation. To continue this success we need a diverse energy workforce that is equipped to meet the challenges and opportunities of our new energy landscape.

The Jackson Lee amendment will help prepare a diverse population of workers from across the country with diverse backgrounds to enter into exciting and rewarding careers in American energy jobs.

Our Historically Black Colleges and Universities, Hispanic Centers of excellence, Tribal Colleges and Universities, Native American-Serving Non-Tribal Institutions and Women Colleges and Universities will become more engaged by a direct pipeline into the Department of Interior that will foster collaboration, mentorships and partnerships through effective job training that will yield employment opportunities.

In closing, I ask my colleagues, to support the Jackson Lee amendment that will address the ability and potential of people who are traditionally underrepresented in energy-production activities by creating an Office of Energy Employment and Training, which will oversee the hiring and training efforts of the Department of Interior's energy planning, permitting, and regulatory agencies.

The Department of the Interior will be responsible for fostering diversity in management, employment, and business activities.

Again, I thank Chairman Hastings and Ranking Member DeFazio for their outstanding leadership.

Mr. Chairman, what we are talking about here is obscenely profitable oil companies getting a giveaway while we are running massive deficits.

Now, everyone says that they want to run government like a business and lower deficits. The GAO has estimated that if this is allowed to run its course without any of these leases being renegotiated, it will be a $50 billion windfall to the oil industry--not million, $50 billion.

Now that would be a nice piece of change, both for revenue sharing for the States and for the Federal Treasury. We could apply it all to deficit reduction or other needs, maybe even fund the continuation of the national transportation system. Who knows.

The bottom line is, as the gentleman pointed out, it may or may not have been intentional on the part of people at the then-Minerals Management Service to give away these assets to the oil companies.

But for 3 years before they slept with them--or whatever happened-- they did include it in the leases. And then what the Court found was that the law that the Republicans passed in 1995 didn't allow those sorts of conditions to be in the leases.

So this is a new approach. The Republican law was defective. The Clinton administration--at least some members of it--were corrupt. It is a bipartisan problem. Let's fix it in a bipartisan way.

This would just say, if the companies who got this windfall and won that Court case want new leases, we would condition new leases upon them negotiating and paying a fair return to the taxpayers on the old leases and, in that process, make the taxpayers whole.

It is a legal and simple way to fix a problem that was caused both by the law, as written, by the then-majority Republican party and the few corrupt members of the Clinton administration.

I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Well, first my condolences to the gentleman from Utah for being a Cubs fan. I am a Red Sox fan, and we have had some problems too. But that was an interesting moment and an interesting analogy made.

Mr. Chairman, I am not aware of the specifics of the instance of which he speaks. But I would say that this, as a remedy for a past action, would apply in the future, and it would not undo whatever took place in the past that the gentleman is referring to. And the principle here is fairly extraordinary. It kind of says, Federal bureaucrats never make mistakes.

So we have proposed leases in an area. We go through a public comment period. Local people comment. A hunting and fishing group comes in and says, you know, this is absolutely, like, the primo area for hunting or fishing or something else. Or it becomes apparent that this is, like, right in a main recreation corridor, something that the Federal bureaucrat overlooked in drawing up the lease boundaries.

But if this were adopted and became law in the future, at the end of the public comment period, it would be, We are the Federal Government. Thank you very much for pointing out that we really screwed that up, that we were just about to wipe out a prime habitat, that we were just about to block or really degrade a prime recreation corridor. We are bureaucrats in Washington, D.C. We didn't realize that. But we are sorry; public comment periods don't mean anything anymore. We cannot condition, withdraw, or change the lease. And that would be it.

I don't think that would be good. I really don't. So, there may have been--and, again, I am not aware of the circumstances to which the gentleman is referring in the specific, but I believe that this amendment, looking forward to whoever is in the White House and whoever is administering these programs, would really preclude any part of the public from having meaningful comment and getting a meaningful response from the Federal bureaucracy which has proposed leasing in their neighborhood.

With that, Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, how much time do I have remaining?

I do have the right to close, so I will yield myself 90 seconds.

Mr. Chairman, as described, that might be an amendment that would be much more acceptable, but it actually doesn't say that. It says that, after the conclusion of the public comment period for a planned competitive lease sale, the Secretary shall not cancel, defer, or withdraw any lease parcel announced to be auctioned in a lease sale.

Now, what the gentleman described is not what this section F would do. This basically says we listen to people--we listened, we heard, it goes forward. Maybe that is not the intent, and if it isn't the intent, then it would need to be modified. So I believe that the public comment period for leases that are drawn up by bureaucrats in Washington, D.C., headquarters should be meaningfully commented upon through a process by people in the vicinity, and their comments should be given some weight in whether or not the lease is modified or goes forward, as I previously described, if it impedes upon prime habitat or particularly on a recreational corridor.

Mr. Chairman, with that, I reserve the balance of my time.

I do not.

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

Mr. Chairman, again, the sentiments expressed by the gentleman having to do with a particular experience in his State--perhaps his district-- is one thing, but this is really clear in the statutory language. It says that we will hold the public comment period. When it closes, the lease goes forward, no matter what we heard.

What the gentleman is talking about is that there was a public comment period. The public comment period was closed, and he says that some time later, outside of the public comment period, someone submitted information which was used and overcame all of the other testimony and/or comments that were provided.

That is a whole different circumstance than what this is. This is very simple. It just says that there will be a public comment period; we will listen; and at the end of that, we don't care what we heard, it has to go forward as proposed.

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

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

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

Mr. Chairman, as I mentioned earlier, the chief executive officer of ExxonMobil, under oath before the United States Senate, testified 3 years ago that the price of oil was $30 to $40 higher than it should have been, and the price at that time was about $100 a barrel, a little less than it is today. So $30 to $40 of the cost of each barrel of oil didn't have to do with the company passing through exploratory costs or lease costs or anything else; 30 to 40 percent of the cost of every barrel of oil is due to speculation by commodities traders on Wall Street, flash traders, derivatives traders, and others.

This isn't your grandfather's swaps market or commodities market. It is not users hedging themselves against future inflation. It is not producers hedging themselves. No, it is rampant speculation by people who have no intention of ever accepting delivery of a barrel of oil, have no use for a barrel of oil, except to manipulate its price to make it more expensive to make money for themselves and the people they represent, which is a very small minority of Americans, less than 1 percent. Meanwhile, the other 99 percent of Americans pay more at the pump.

We should do something about this. Now, there are those who think the modest position limits in Dodd-Frank will be a horrible, onerous burden on these speculators, and that maybe they can only extract $20 a barrel--maybe only $10 a barrel out of us--so you would only be paying an extra 30 cents at the pump to Wall Street. But as it stands today, after you take out other associated costs, about 60 cents a gallon that every American is paying at the pump today, no matter what the price is, where they live in the country, whether it is very high or very low, is going to Wall Street speculative interests.

We should do something about that. If we want to provide relief to the American people at the pump, we should do something about that.

This amendment is very simple. It establishes an account where money from lease sales would go to this account, and it would be made available to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission so they could upgrade their computers and do other things to better track and rein in speculators. Basically, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission has been choked to the point, in terms of personnel and equipment, I think they are still using Commodore 64s, and they are trying to chase supercomputers. We can do better, and we could do something real for the American people here today other than Groundhog Day on the fifth anniversary and repassage of this legislation that will not become law.

Now there are those who will say you are increasing the deficit or whatever. No, it just says those leasing moneys would be put into this account, and they would be subject to appropriation. We would then have to convince the Appropriations Committee that it would be a good thing to upgrade the Commodity Futures Trading Commission so they could crack down on some

of the flash trading and speculation that creates volatility and higher prices for Americans. I think this would be a very good thing to do.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I have an article from Oil Daily in 2008, and it is on the subject of a 1-day increase of $17.51 in the price of a barrel of oil, and they go on to say nothing in the world happened, that traders were astonished and horrified with the volatility, and this should really settle the argument whether this is speculation or fundamentals at work. There is massive speculation in this market.

Even the chairman of ExxonMobil says that a good deal of the price being paid at the pump has to do with speculation. We can whistle past the graveyard and continue to bow to Wall Street and defer to them, but this is the reality. I wish that we would do something about it, but I fear we won't because they are very generous in even-numbered years.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for offering the amendment, and I thank the gentleman for his kind remarks. I guess my career would never be complete unless we did this one more time.

But this amendment, Mr. Chairman, is identical to an amendment that failed 2 years ago in this House, and, I might say, it failed by a broad bipartisan vote.

I will also remind my friend from Oregon that this issue has been repeatedly settled in the Nation's courts of law, with the courts determining that rewriting the terms of these leases to include price thresholds would be a direct violation of contract law. That is what the issue is here really with this.

Now it was during the Clinton administration that this happened. And I agree with the gentleman; it shouldn't have happened. But it happened. And the courts have spoken very clearly on this.

The U.S. Supreme Court found that the Department of the Interior did not have the authority to rewrite these contracts that were issued under the 1995 law. And I will remind the gentleman that the Department of the Interior has lost this issue in the district court, the appellate court, and the Supreme Court.

Ultimately, this amendment seeks to force U.S. companies to break a contract legally negotiated under government law, or else be denied the opportunity to do business in the U.S. The amendment aims to back companies into a corner and attempts to force them to break legally binding contracts. And that, from my point of view, is essentially extorting these companies to undo these contracts.

Now, I want to, again, speak on this just a little bit broader. I would acknowledge that we have the right in this Congress to pass legislation to change that. After all, we are the body that makes the law. But there is a fundamental issue here that I think that we really have to address beyond this: Should Congress be passing legislation that breaks contract law when courts have said repeatedly that contract law should be inviolable? I think that is what the issue is here today.

I understand my friend from Oregon having perhaps some heartburn because this is dealing with oil and gas. I understand that. And frankly, I respect that. But I think that the larger issue here is that we should not be doing what we could do because I think that we should hold contracts, private sector contracts with government, in a higher area than probably some people think we should.

So with that, I urge rejection of the amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I have no further requests for time and am prepared to close.

So at this point, I will reserve the balance of my time.

I reserve the balance of my time.

I yield myself the balance of the time.

The observation has been made that these maybe should be renegotiated. Listen, Mr. Chairman, any contract can be renegotiated, as long as both sides want to renegotiate. But that was the law at the time. And what concerns me with this piece of legislation is that it implies there has to be a renegotiation.

Mr. Chairman, I would suggest to some that they would say that this is the heavy hand of government forcing somebody to do something that they could do under law right now. In some areas, they call that extortion. They may not use that strong of a word, but I am sure that would be implied by some people if they were subject to this.

Again, this amendment has been rejected on a bipartisan basis for the last couple of years. The courts have ruled against this. I think we should follow with that.

With that, I urge rejection of the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I demand a recorded vote.

Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, I just want to make this point again. What does this amendment say? It prohibits the Secretary from canceling lease sales previously announced to be auctioned based on public comments received after the comment period was ended.

In other words, what the gentleman is simply saying is let's follow the law. I know he said that, but it is worth repeating. You have a comment period, then a decision is made. Once that decision is made, that should end the issue. Why? Because there is a great deal of capital that has been invested, and as the gentleman from Utah said, that is the certainty that our energy producers need.

Mr. Chairman, what was done in Utah with the canceling of those sales at that time I thought was totally wrong. It was wrong then, it is wrong now, and the court has found that.

Mr. Chairman, I support the gentleman's amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to claim the time in opposition, although I am not opposed to the amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself as much time as I may consume.

Mr. Chairman, this amendment is the product of a collaborative process between the gentlewoman from Texas and the Natural Resources Committee. For most of this year, the Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources has held a series of hearings on American energy jobs focusing on the tremendous job opportunities and demand for educated and skilled workers in the oil and gas industry. A number of those hearings focused directly on veterans, opportunities for veterans, opportunities for women, and opportunities for minorities, not only in the industry, but also within the Department of the Interior.

Mr. Chairman, this amendment builds on that work by establishing an office in the Department of the Interior to centralize and focus specifically on the dismal record of the Department in these areas. And why do I say that, Mr. Chairman? I say that because we have learned earlier this year from a GAO report that the Department of the Interior has trouble staffing these agencies and fails to utilize all of the tools at their disposal to hire, to train, and to retain staff in these particular areas. And so what this amendment does is centralize what DOE should already be doing, with the focus on veterans, women, and minorities.

So I am prepared to accept this amendment, and I look forward to working with the sponsor on this and other areas that we can agree upon.

With that, Mr. Chairman, I urge adoption of the amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Chairman, this amendment is another attempt to prove the unfounded position that speculation in energy markets is impacting energy prices. Last year the Massachusetts Institute of Technology released a study showing that:

Speculation had little, if any, effect on prices and

volatility.

So this amendment then distracts from focusing really on future energy needs in our country and increasing our energy supply and production in our country.

The underlying legislation simply ensures that American energy production can move forward to create jobs and reduce our dependence on foreign imports, therefore increasing revenues to the Federal treasury, and, of course, contribute to economic growth.

Instead, this amendment I think would waste millions of dollars to try to find proof that speculation increases energy prices--a fact that has been disproven.

I might add too, Mr. Chairman, that an amendment of this nature has repeatedly been defeated on a bipartisan vote in the committee, and not only in the committee but also in the full House of Representatives. I urge rejection of the amendment.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Since it was established in earlier debate that the gentleman from Oregon is a Red Sox fan, let me quote here from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which of course they are in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and probably most of them are Red Sox fans. I will conclude here again on the issue of speculation. They conclude with this sentence:

When we focus on four specific periods of price runups, we

find that speculation may have decreased prices by about 1.4

percent on average.

In other words, what the gentleman is saying, in suggesting in his amendment that we should be studying speculation because it raises prices, here is a report from presumably a lot of Red Sox fans who believe that speculation might have driven prices down. Again, we have gone through this before not only in the committee but also in the House. It has been rejected. I urge we reject it one more time.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. Chair the Offshore Energy and Jobs Act, which raises several issues important to every Member of the House:

Energy production and independence

Environmental protection and preservation; and

Job creation for minorities and women

Given the importance of these issues, I believe the House would have benefitted from a bill I introduced during the 111th and the 112th Congress. H.R. 3710--The Deficit Reduction, Job Creation and Energy Security Act of 2011 and of 2012.

My bill proclaimed a placement for the next generation. The introduction of H.R. 3710 indicated a collaborative approach in response of the call from Americans across the U.S., calling for jobs today. H.R. 3710 will do exactly that plus provide huge benefits to our national and local economies, and increase our energy supply and independence from foreign oil.

The energy bill I offered calls for the secretary of interior to increase the total lease acreage set forth in the proposed outer continental shelf oil & gas leasing program for 2012-2017 by an additional 10 percent.

This 10% increase shall be known as the deficit reduction acreage. As such, the secretary shall lease 20% of the deficit reduction acreage each year from 2012-2017. All proceeds from the deficit reduction acreage shall be deposited into the deficit reduction energy security fund.

For 15 years after issuance of the first lease or receipt of the first payment coming from the deficit reduction energy security fund, all proceeds shall be deposited into an interest bearing account for a period of 2 years. Upon expiration of the 2 year period, these proceeds shall be distributed as follows:

The interest gained during 2 year period shall be placed in the Coastal and Ocean Sustainability and Health Fund (COSH);

And the principle from the deficit reduction energy security fund shall be deposited into the U.S. Treasury and applied directly toward deficit reduction.

The cosh fund will establish grants for States (coastal and disaster grant program an]) a national grant program) for addressing coastal and ocean disasters, restoration, protection, and maintenance of coastal areas and oceans, including research and programs in coordination with State and local agencies.

My bill also establishes an Office of Ocean Energy Employment and Training at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, which shall be empowered and directed to oversee the efforts of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement Ocean Energy Planning, permitting and regulatory activities to carry out the purposes, objectives and requirements of this act.

And my bill establishes the Office of Minority and Women Inclusion that will require the Secretary to take affirmative steps to seek diversity in all levels of such department, and to be responsible for all matters of the Department of the Interior relating to diversity in management, employment, and business activities.

As a representative from Houston, Texas, representating the energy capital of America, I realize that energy is the lifeblood of every economy.

I also realize that the oil and gas industry provides many jobs for many of my constituents and opportunities for small businesses in my district.

Therefore, it is critical that while seeking solutions to secure more energy independence within this country, we must strike a balance that will still support an environment for continued growth in the oil and gas industry that creates millions of jobs across the entire country.

My bill guarantees to pay down the deficit, create grant dollars for local government entities, and creates a job training and employment office for minorities and women at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement.

Mr. Chair, I ask the Chairman and the Ranking Member to work with me on my bill, H.R. 3710, to create a robust job creation bill that pays down the deficit, creates grant dollars and establishes an office for employment and job training for minorities and women.

H.R. 2231 touches the surface but does not penetrate into the crust of a real offshore job creation bill.

My bill, H.R. 3710 requires the department to utilize its authorities regarding the leasing and development of offshore oil and gas resources to accelerate job creation and economic revitalization to the fullest extent practicable, taking into account the department's responsibilities regarding conservation, safety and protection of the environment; promotes expansion of domestic employment opportunities; responds to the Nations increased need for domestic oil and natural gas resources; and supports the utilization of the outer continental shelf for oil and gas production and transmission.

H.R. 2231, does not provide the key components, in which I propose in H.R. 3710, and for these reasons, I am opposed to the bill and cannot support it.

Mr. Chairman, I have a brilliant amendment at the desk.

Mr. Chairman, so last night, I am watching the Cubs game. And the shortstop, who is on a tear right now as far as hitting, bounces off a foul tip that the replay clearly shows bounced onto the ground. The catcher trapped the ball, and then held it up as saying he had actually caught it. And the umpire, even though this violates the rules of the game, had the power to pick the catcher over the hitter, and he declared that the batter had struck out.

Now even though the Cubs manager went out there, claiming how unfair this was--and I was yelling at the TV screen for hours afterwards-- history books will still say that Castro had a strikeout at this particular event.

Now, of course, the unfortunate thing is that our administration and the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Land Management plays this same game of picking catchers over hitters all the time, even though it violates some of the rules.

So, 77 leases were put up for bid in Utah. It took the BLM on the ground 7 years to go through the process. They checked all the boxes. They did the environmental analysis. And the Secretary of the Interior simply canceled them. His reason was, 'cause.

Recently, 56 leases were also set out there for auction. Once again, all the boxes were checked. They got through the process. They did the environmental analysis. The environment assessment was done. Public comment was done. The protest period was finished. And 5 days--5 days-- before the auction, a letter comes from a special interest group to the State director for the Bureau of Land Management, a group that had been silent through the entire process. They said nothing during the assessment. They said nothing during the public comment. During the protest period, they said nothing. Here, 2 months after the record was closed, 2 months after the decision had been done with no more access for public comments, the director of the BLM simply says, I am going to pick a special interest group over another interest group, and he canceled these leases.

Schools, the chance of jobs in my State went out, the chance of actually getting royalty payments that would help the kids of my State pay for their education. It was simply done on a whim.

The industry had spent $500,000. Half a million dollars from their recreation and development funds were spent getting ready for this auction. And all of a sudden, a special interest group is given special treatment, and it is taken away.

Now, what government needs, especially out in the local areas, and what business needs is simply certainty. You tell us what the rules are, and they can play by those rules. It is a business necessity to have certainty and not have administrative officials simply change the rules on a whim at some particular time.

It is kind of like, to paraphrase the old Tom Cruise movie: You screwed up. You trusted me.

If we have a policy that is long and it is hard, it gives ample opportunity. But it is proven meaningless if, indeed,

the Bureau of Land Management is able to fervently yield at the eleventh hour to the opinion of some special interest group. All we are asking them to do with this amendment is to simply follow the rules. Don't change things on a whim. Don't pick one group over the other. Don't pick the catcher or the hitter.

I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, before I make a comment about the Red Sox, may I inquire about how much time I have remaining?

With that, I would like to yield 45 seconds to a Mariners fan--tough day down here--the chairman of the committee.

I assume the gentleman has no other speakers?

Good. I will finish this. And I appreciate knowing the gentleman from Oregon is a Red Sox fan. That explains so, so much here.

Mr. Chairman, I have to admit that this is probably a needless amendment. One would assume that if you write a law or you write a rule, that is what you do. This amendment basically says that you abide by the rules. Even though you have great and awesome power--never mind the man behind the curtain--you don't change the rules to pick winners and losers and one special interest group over another. You abide by the rule.

In the first 77 lease issue, they had 7 years to go through the process of finding out what it is. This is one of the concepts in which it simply says we are going to obey the law. We are going to abide by the rules so everyone knows what is there and everyone knows with certainty what they can do and for what they should plan, and you don't change it at the last minute because you want to favor one group over another group.

That is why we are doing this. It has happened in the past, it can happen in the future, and it should not.

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