Floor Statements

I thank the chairman of the full committee, Representative Hastings. And I'll just reinforce the last point he was making.

And I don't believe that the gentleman from Florida intended his language to do this. But it says it is the right and power of each State to prohibit management, leasing, developing of the natural resources within such lands within its boundaries.

I don't believe it was intended, but this could have the dangerous consequence of trampling on private property rights.

It's been tried in the Fifth Amendment, and that is a vital core principle in our Bill of Rights. And I know that you didn't intend that, but this language could lead to that. For that reason alone, we should reject this amendment. This could have dangerous consequences.

So I agree with the full chairman, the gentleman from Washington. Let's reject this amendment.

While the U.S. is blessed with an abundance of energy resources, we are also saddled with an administration that is throwing up barriers to our energy security and economic prosperity.

This is why, Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2231, the Offshore Energy and Jobs Act. It passed out of the subcommittee I chair on Energy and Mineral Resources.

The bill requires the President to implement a new 5-year plan that includes the areas offshore containing the greatest known oil and natural gas resources. This is a targeted approach that focuses on specific areas in which we know the most energy resources are located. The bill requires lease sales to be held off of Virginia, which were originally scheduled to take place in 2011, and South Carolina.

In both States, there is strong, bipartisan support from the public, the congressional delegations and the Governors for drilling off their coasts.

Finally, the bill implements important reforms to strengthen the safety, accountability and efficiency of the Federal Government's offshore agencies. It establishes a fair revenue-sharing program for all coastal States.

Both provisions would further encourage the safe, expanded production of offshore energy.

Mr. Chairman, high gas prices hurt all of us, and the impacts are felt every day. Families are forced to make tough decisions in their budgets, schools run fewer buses and the costs of businesses go up, forcing companies to hire fewer workers. But the concerns of America's energy consumers, the Nation's small businesses and families have largely been ignored by this administration.

When President Obama took office, nearly all of the offshore areas were open to energy production. The administration had the tremendous opportunity for the first time in more than a generation to open new areas of the OCS for oil and gas drilling. Available to them for the first time since 1982 was the opportunity to access billions of barrels of oil that have been held closed under lock and key for decades.

Instead of jumping on the opportunity to increase our energy security, President Obama discarded a plan to develop these new areas, canceled lease sales and closed off 85 percent of our Outer Continental Shelf. This crushed the hopes and economic opportunity for the people in States like Virginia. In fact, the Obama plan put forward the lowest number of lease sales since the Jimmy Carter administration.

Nearly one year later, we are here again today to attempt to change the wrong course upon which this administration has set our Nation and our energy future. Recently, the Energy Information Administration issued their report for energy production on Federal lands for fiscal year 2012. It should be no surprise that the sale of crude on Federal lands decreased 5 percent in 2012, with an 8 percent decrease in Federal offshore volumes.

While this administration seems content with the status quo, this legislation is about making the right choices now to foster new access and new energy for the future. H.R. 2231 makes it clear that waiting until 2017, 5 more years, is too long for new energy production.

Increased American energy production is one of the best ways to create new American jobs, strengthen the economy and generate new revenue to help tackle the national debt. We cannot keep ignoring the vast resources potential of the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf. I applaud Chairman Hastings for his leadership on this issue, and I encourage all of my colleagues to support this critical legislation.

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

Mr. Chairman, this straightforward amendment ensures that the Interior Department will not allow leases under the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to go to any person currently subject to sanctions by the U.S. Government under existing Federal laws. This amendment will ensure that no company can benefit from today's legislation if it helps prop up oppressive and destabilizing regimes, such as Iran or Syria.

With the threat from Iran continuing to grow, it is vital that Congress respond with prudent and effective action. We must continue to isolate Iran, promote stability in the Middle East, and protect Israel. Growing our own domestic energy resources is an important part of further isolating Iran. My amendment ensures that we do not inadvertently or indirectly support the Iranian regime while opening American sources of energy. Iran is an existential threat to our best ally in the region, Israel; and it is a state sponsor of terrorism in addition to Iran's relentless pursuit of nuclear weapons and the abuse it directs to its own citizens.

With regard to Syria, existing sanctions are already helping increase the pressure on President Assad's regime. Thanks to the sanctions, Syrian oil production has decreased as companies have cut ties with the government and exited the country. Despite this pressure, more action is needed. This amendment is a responsible next step to ensure that nothing in this bill will empower President Assad's continuing war against the Syrian people.

The United States should not be rewarding companies that are currently subject to sanctions by the U.S. Government. We must ensure that none of the profit derived from today's legislation will prop up nations that would harm our national security interests or those of our ally, Israel. Israel has a hard enough time surviving in a dangerous neighborhood without letting it get any worse.

With both the Iranian and Syrian regimes threatening our allies in the Middle East and with Iran's proxy, Hezbollah, now directly involved in the fighting in Syria, I believe that Congress must show its unity in the protection of our good friend Israel and with the people of Syria.

I yield to the gentleman.

I thank the chairman for that and for his leadership on the entire bill.

I encourage all of my colleagues to support this simple amendment, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I look forward to receiving the vote of the ranking member. I suppose that means he is in favor of this amendment, so I appreciate and applaud that.

This is very similar to the amendment last year, though it is not identical as you stated. It is very similar, and this is an example that we can work together in a bipartisan way to commonly work together on good ideas. Motions to recommit, as I will remind you, do sometimes throw up a procedural roadblock that delay the progress of a bill.

I yield to the gentleman.

As I reclaim my time, Mr. Chairman, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Chairman, I do look forward and appreciate the gentleman across the aisle's support of this amendment, and I thank him for his remarks.

Mr. Chairman, this is a good amendment. I urge everyone's support, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained due to a family medical situation

and was unable to vote on rollcall No. 287 and rollcall No. 288.

Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 287 and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 288.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained due to a family medical situation and was unable to vote on rollcall No. 245, rollcall No. 246, and rollcall No. 247.

Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 245, ``yea'' on rollcall No. 246, and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 247.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a wonderful woman from Colorado Springs. Mrs. Lois Giles, a mother of four, grandmother of eight and great grandmother of five, has spent many years devoting her time to her community. She has set a record at Memorial Hospital in Colorado Springs by volunteering an incredible thirty-seven thousand hours in the Volunteer Service Department. Lois is loved by everyone she works with and is always eager to lend a helping hand. Rising at 3:45 a.m. four days per week she works from 5 a.m. to 3 p.m. She has spent hours working on patient floors, in the business office and in the emergency room. Now, Lois helps greet people at the Hospital's north entrance front desk, looks up room numbers and provides telephone numbers and directions to rooms. The epitome of a selfless worker, she admits she's not striving to acquire more hours, rather she comes in each day just so she can help. She has been nominated twice for the Memorial Appreciation Award at the Hospital and won the award for her unwavering commitment to notify the hospital of an unsafe workplace situation.

Her late husband Howard also volunteered at the Hospital. Lois and Howard were married on Memorial Day 1941.

The Senior League and Senior Research Council of the Pikes Peak Region awarded Lois the Community Service Award for incredible service to the community and on behalf of senior citizens. Lois has been praised by her co-workers for her leadership, sense of responsibility and caring nature.

Lois deserves much recognition for her dedication to helping others and the incredible impact she had on her community and the countless lives she has touched.

Mr. Speaker, I rise to recognize the many dedicated firefighters, first responders, and military personnel who are battling the ongoing Black Forest fire to save countless homes and lives in my congressional district. I would also like to recognize the coordinated response of all the Federal, State, and local resources that have come together to contain the fire.

Since erupting Tuesday afternoon, the Black Forest fire has, at this time, claimed two lives, destroyed 379 homes, and displaced over 41,000 people, making it the most destructive fire in Colorado history.

I will continue to do all I can to help the thousands of families displaced by this fire and ensure that our brave firefighters and first responders have all the Federal resources they need.

I ask all of you to keep the people of the Black Forest and the family of the two who have died in your thoughts and prayers during this tragedy.

I thank the chairman of the full committee.

I would urge defeat of this amendment. It would reverse what the Obama administration and Secretary of Defense Hagel came forward with on March 15 of this year. After seeing the North Korean threat only increase, they appropriately came to the decision to add more Ground- Based Interceptors.

Now, I believe the administration has been too slow to appropriately address the threats we have from in-coming missiles, but this is a good step forward, and so I applaud that.

The Secretary said:

We will take steps in the United States to stay ahead of

the challenge posed by Iran and North Korea's development of

longer-range ballistic missile capabilities.

I have to agree with that. How we came to this point, I know that there has been some disagreement in the intelligence community, but the Defense Intelligence Agency said that they have moderate confidence that the North Koreans can put together long-range ballistic missiles and nuclear warheads. That is a threat we should take seriously. This amendment, if adopted, would not recognize that threat.

Also, by doing advanced procurement, we save the taxpayers $200 million. So this is ill-advised from a financial standpoint.

The military is adopting a fly-before-you-buy approach. There was one successful test a few months ago, another test is scheduled toward the end of this year. Those will be the two tests that the author of this amendment says that he wants.

So this amendment is totally unnecessary. It would delay what even the administration--which has been a little too slow--has said is appropriate. We should not slow things down further. The threats are real, they are serious, and we need to fund them appropriately.

I ask that you defeat this dangerous amendment.

Mr. Chair, on rollcall No. 236 I inadvertently voted ``nay'' when I intended to Support the Amendment.

Amendment No. 20 Offered by Mr. Smith of Washington

Mr. Chairman, I rise today to highlight my amendment No. 143, which expresses the sense of Congress highlighting the threat posed by Hezbollah.

Hezbollah is one of the world's most dangerous terrorist organizations. After al Qaeda, it is responsible for the most deaths of American citizens. Hezbollah is behind a series of terrorist attacks around the world, including the foiled plot to assassinate the Saudi Ambassador here in Washington.

Hezbollah is backed by the Iranian regime and has now joined the fight to protect another Iranian proxy, the Assad regime in Syria.

Hezbollah was behind an attack last summer in Bulgaria that killed five people. Unfortunately, the European Union has not yet listed Hezbollah as a terrorist organization.

My amendment calls on the EU to recognize that Hezbollah is a terrorist organization. Please vote ``yes'' on this amendment to stand against terrorism.

I thank the chairman of the full committee. I also appreciate what the chairman of the subcommittee, the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Rogers), has said. I totally agree with what he has already put forward.

Against this amendment, I would have to add that one of the other things it does which is harmful to our national defense is to stop the progress we are making on creating a third site on the eastern coast of the United States for missile defense.

The gentleman quoted some Russian television commentator. That has no relevance to what Ground-Based Midcourse Defense is all about. Ground- Based Midcourse Defense is against a rogue missile fired from a North Korea or an Iran or from some country like that or is an accidental single launch from another country. It is not to fight against the Russians or the Chinese. That's not it at all. We have some interceptors already in place in Alaska and in California. The eastern site would add that same capability of defense against a rogue missile on the east coast.

I happen to believe that we should be protecting the east coast better than we are today. I think the people of New Jersey, let's say, deserve just as much protection as the people of California, and we have that capability.

You said it hasn't defeated jammers and decoys. The North Koreans don't have jammers and decoys. The Iranians aren't even that far along. They're not as far along as the North Koreans.

We don't have to have the perfect. In this case, the perfect would be the enemy of the good. We have had missiles in tests like a bullet shooting down a bullet. We have had many successful tests, and we could stop a North Korean or an Iranian missile. We have that on the west coast. We should have that on the east coast. This Congress in last year's NDAA put in language calling for an environmental assessment and study of the east coast site. That should go forward. Unfortunately, this amendment, should it pass, would stop this progress in its tracks.

So for that reason and for the reasons already stated by Representative Rogers, I would urge a strong ``no.'' This would be destructive of missile defense. This would be destructive of our national defense. Please vote ``no.''

Madam Chairman, I thank the chairman of the full committee for yielding me time.

I have total respect for my colleague and friend from New York who authored this amendment, but I believe on this one this amendment is misguided and we should defeat it. This does not call for a declaration of war or any kinds of the, I think exaggerated responses I've heard in favor of this amendment. This says that the President should have a course of action.

The President earlier stated that there are red lines concerning weapons of mass destruction. I believe, if the news today is correct, then belatedly maybe there is a step toward recognizing that and taking some action for red lines just in the last few hours.

But we've been working on this amendment, we debated it in committee, because up until now, and even going forward--I'm not sure how much-- there hasn't been very much planning. There hasn't been a stated plan or a course of action by the administration. We need to have that in place.

We can and should and will debate this further. But the administration, I believe, has been lacking in leadership--too much leading from behind, as

we've seen in other places. There needs to be leadership.

This is a volatile area of the world--there's no question about that. That doesn't mean, though, that we can be disengaged. We can't just throw our hands up and withdraw and put our heads in the sand.

We have allies in the region, especially Israel. Israel needs to be supported and defended. We are the most powerful country in the world. We need to take a role of at least planning for what's happening.

That's what this sense of Congress language does. Section 1251, the amendment offered by my friend and colleague from New York, would strike the language.

I would urge a ``no'' vote on this amendment. Let's have some planning for once by this administration on this important issue.

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained due to a family medical emergency and was unable to vote on rollcall No. 212 and rollcall No. 213.

Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 212 and ``yea'' on rollcall No. 213.

I thank the chairman for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong support of this legislation. From day one, the Obama administration has inexplicably put up roadblock after roadblock to prevent the construction of the Keystone pipeline, a pipeline that would create tens of thousands of American jobs and securely bring 800,000 barrels of oil a day to American consumers. These numbers are according to the administration's own Departments of Energy and State. This project also would lead to billions of dollars of investment into the U.S. economy.

Besides obstructing the construction of the northern portion of the pipeline, President Obama had no shame in taking credit for construction of the southern section of the pipeline, which did not require his approval. Sadly, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper has announced that due to delays by the Obama administration, Canada has no choice but to consider alternative options for bringing its oil to market, including constructing a pipeline from Alberta to the Pacific coast for export to China. If we don't take advantage of this opportunity, somebody else will--probably China.

After four Environmental Impact Statements, all of which have concluded that there will be minimal environmental impacts, the administration continues to stall construction of the pipeline.

It would lessen our dependence on foreign oil from dangerous parts of the world by integrating our friendly northern neighbor into our energy economy. With each day that passes, we slowly lose one of the best opportunities this country has had in a generation to secure our energy independence. Since the President refuses to act, Congress will. The Northern Route Approval Act removes the President's veto and will ensure that, after years of extensive studies, construction of the pipeline can move forward so America can begin to benefit from this tremendous opportunity.

I urge the adoption of the act.

I thank the chairman of the full committee for allowing me to speak. I rise in strong support of H.R. 527, the Responsible Helium Administration and Stewardship Act.

Our House Natural Resources Committee passed this bipartisan legislation by voice vote, and I encourage my colleagues in the full House to do the same. The Responsible Helium Administration and Stewardship Act adds free market reforms to the current system. The current system allows a small number of companies to have access to and benefit from the taxpayer resource, which is helium, but it's a good thing to broaden the base of those who are most benefiting from this resource.

There is currently some instability in the marketplace for American companies that are the end users of helium. These companies employ thousands of Americans, and they rely upon a dependable supply of helium for their business every day. This includes defense companies, medical companies, manufacturing companies, and a variety of users.

Numerous government reports--from the Department of Interior Inspector General to the Government Accountability Office to the National Academy of Sciences--have all come to the same conclusion: we need to reform the current system.

The current system allows a select group of companies to buy a critical Federal resource at significantly below market value to the exclusion of other companies. There are historical reasons how this situation developed, but we have to look to the future and what's best for the economy moving forward.

As a result, the American people are potentially being denied tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars of additional revenue because this Federal taxpayer resource is sometimes being sold at under-market values.

It should be noted that over 20 organizations and end-user companies representing high-tech manufacturers of semiconductors, aerospace technologies, life-saving medical devices, chemicals, fiber optic, and scientific researchers who require helium as an essential part of their daily business support this bill. H.R. 527 will ensure that these industries employing thousands of Americans and vital to the United States can obtain a reliable and secure source of helium while ensuring American taxpayers that they receive the best possible market value for this taxpayer resource.

H.R. 527 will end the current allotment system and add free market components to the BLM helium program. This will increase transparency between companies and the BLM and ensure that purchasers of helium will have timely access to the pipeline to ensure delivery of the helium that they have purchased.

This bill is supported by the ITI, and I urge your support of this legislation.

Information Technology

Industry Council,

Washington, DC, April 25, 2013.

Hon. John Boehner,

Speaker of the House, House of Representatives, Washington,

``Each House shall keep a Journal of its proceedings, and from time to time publish the same, excepting such parts as may in their judgment require secrecy; and the yeas and nays of the Members of either House on any question shall, at the desire of one-fifth of those present, be entered on the Journal.''

I thank the gentleman from Utah.

The bill we are considering today is very simple: It's a bill that protects one of the Nation's most abundant and cheap energy sources-- coal--and ensures that some of the highest-paid family wage jobs in the country are saved.

I want to focus on title I of H.R. 3409 that limits the authority of the Secretary of the Interior to issue new burdensome regulations under SMCRA until the end of 2013. This title will put a short timeout on the recklessly rushed rulemaking by the administration that has resulted in millions of wasted dollars and confusion by all parties regarding the current management of coal by the Office of Surface Mining. This rulemaking has been an unmitigated disaster, with the administration attempting to compress what ordinarily would take 36 months into 15 months. When news got out about how many jobs would be lost under these proposed rules, the administration fired the independent contractor who provided the analysis.

The administration's own analysis is that 7,000 direct mining jobs would be lost and an additional 29,000 people would fall below the poverty level in the Appalachian basin alone. The proposed rules would have a negative economic impact in 22 States.

How in the world can a President who gives lip service to creating jobs allow his bureaucrats to kill jobs in coal States?

This bill will simply give OSM a timeout so they can hear and address the concerns raised by the cooperating agencies, coal mining States and tribes, and citizens. It will allow States time to read the hundreds of pages of materials in months rather than days. The current rulemaking by OSM is an out-of-control process with no regard for mine workers and their families who depend on these jobs.

I urge my colleagues to support the resolution and the Johnson bill.

Mr. Speaker, it is with mixed feelings that I announce the departure of a valued member of my staff, Kristine J. Michalson. Words are not adequate to express how much she will be missed.

For the past four years, Kristine has professionally and enthusiastically served the constituents of the Fifth Congressional District of Colorado as my Legislative Assistant and Press Secretary. She successfully handled her duties with a wealth of knowledge of the legislative and procedural processes. Her dedication and work ethic will be very difficult to replace.

Beginning her career on the Hill as my Staff Assistant and Deputy Press Secretary, she faithfully carried out her duties and was promoted to handle a variety of issue areas. She has particularly aided me in the area of Foreign Affairs, focusing on Israel and the Middle

East. Because I am co-chair of two Israel caucuses, she has coordinated various briefings and meetings on my behalf.

Kristine graduated from Grove City College in December, 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts in History and certification in Secondary Education Social Science.

She is the daughter of Richard and Berit Michalson of Ramsey, New Jersey, and is sister to Jacob and Andrew. She has worked hard for the people of Colorado. Her conservative and Christian values are needed today more than ever. So while I will miss her and her contribution greatly, I know that she will provide great service to our country in the future. I truly believe God will bless her in her future endeavors.

Mr. Speaker, it is with mixed emotions that I announce the departure of a valued member of my staff, Autumn M. Leva.

Autumn has served in my Washington D.C. office for the past year and a half, first as our Staff Assistant and most recently as my Executive Assistant, Scheduler, and Legislative Aide. She has successfully handled her duties with a wealth of knowledge of the legislative and procedural processes. Her dedication and work ethic will be very difficult to replace.

A longtime resident of Colorado's fifth Congressional District and a graduate of Salida High School, Autumn received her Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education with a minor in Spanish from the University of Montana in 2007 and went on to receive her Juris Doctor from Regent University School of Law in 2010. She is the daughter of Kathy Messick of Salida, Colorado and sister to Shane Leva.

Autumn's sparkling personality, enthusiastic can-do attitude, and team-player mentality will be truly missed. However, it is her love for the Lord that will be most remembered by myself

and her colleagues. Always ready with an encouraging word, Autumn harnessed her passion for the law and traditional Christian values by handing the legislative portfolio of values issues. As her zeal for these issues deepened, she felt the Lord calling her to serve in this capacity fulltime and so she will serve as spokeswoman for the Minnesota for Marriage campaign this fall.

Autumn has worked hard for the people of Colorado. Her conservative and Christian values are needed today more than ever. So while I will miss her greatly, I know God will bless her in her future endeavors.