Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, I thank the chairman for his time and his leadership on this issue.

I come to the floor today as the co-chair of the largest bipartisan caucus in the United States Congress: the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus. On behalf of the millions of sportsmen and -women around the country, I say to the Federal Government, enough is enough. We will not be intimidated; we will not be strong-armed; and we will not be silent.

States have enjoyed a cooperative relationship with the Federal Government for years on wildlife management, and this is a disturbing shift that we have seen in the last administration.

Though I come to the floor today in defense of Alaska's management rights of national wildlife refuges, this sets a disturbing precedent for the lower 48 States. It is a disturbingly brazen power grab by the Federal Government against the law, in spite of loud and widespread opposition at the local level.

The rule removes Alaska's authority to manage fish and wildlife for both nonsubsistence and subsistence uses in Federal wildlife. The action by the last administration violated the clear letter of the Alaska Statehood Act, the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, and the National Wildlife Refuge System Improvement Act.

I encourage my colleagues to support what we are doing today and stand in support of the good men and women, the outdoorsmen in the great State of Alaska. I know you have heard from the gentleman from Alaska who has very clearly articulated the position of the people he represents in that great State.

I applaud the chairman. I applaud the action that we are taking today. I urge my colleagues to support it.

Mr. Speaker, in the history of mankind, civilizations have turned to sports as a means of entertainment, as a distraction from the routines of everyday life, a great way to spend time with friends and family. Whether it was the gladiators in the coliseums of Rome, the jousting in the Middle Ages, or college football today, it is a great form of entertainment.

I rise today to honor and recognize Clemson University, the 2016 college football national champions. The coaches are to be commended-- from Dabo Swinney and his coaching staff, the team he has put together, the men of character that he builds, and I will mention some of those shortly; President Jim Clements; athletic director Radakovich; the students of Clemson; and, most importantly, the fans, a 35-31 victory against Alabama.

It has been 35 years since Clemson won the national championship in 1981. That is a special national championship to me because my brother John was on the national championship team in 1981. Danny Ford, Coach Ford, was the coach when the 1981 national championship team was inducted, recognized in the College Football Hall of Fame the very night, Monday night, of this year's national championship.

The connections between the University of Alabama and their football program and Clemson University's football program are numerous. Danny Ford played football for Bear Bryant. He coached the national championship in 1981. Dabo Swinney, current head coach at Clemson, played for Alabama. Dabo was a walk-on at Alabama. It has been 110 years since Clemson defeated Alabama, 1905.

I am not taking anything away from Coach Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide. What a great football program they have in the great State of Alabama. They fell to a very good Clemson football team on Monday night.

Deshaun Watson, number 4, he was the difference. He is the best football player in the Nation with 420 yards passing, 36 for 57; total offensive, 511 yards. Watson was the MVP of the national championship game. Ben Boulware was Clemson's defensive MVP of the game.

But I want to give a special shout-out to a unique individual, Hunter Renfrow, number 13, who caught the winning touchdown pass at the end of the game with 1 second left. Hunter Renfrow, a walk-on at Clemson, like his head coach, Dabo Swinney, a walk-on who earned a spot, ultimately catching two touchdown passes in this national championship game, two touchdown passes in the 45-40 loss last year, a walk-on.

Both ends of the spectrum, a five-star quarterback, number 4, Deshaun Watson, arguably the best quarterback in the Nation, throwing to the other end of the spectrum, a walk-on. What a great story.

I want to give a shout-out to the coaching staff, specifically Dabo Swinney, and to Deshaun Watson for both recognizing that their talents and that team's specialness came from Almighty Creator God.

Clemson is special to me. I am a 1988 graduate. I played walk-on at Clemson 1984, 1985, and part of 1986. Part of Hunter Renfrow's and Dabo Swinney's stories that you can be a walk-on and ultimately succeed is one that we should take away from this great game.

So my congratulations, standing here on the floor of the United States House of Representatives, representing the Third Congressional District, home of Clemson, South Carolina, home of Clemson University, and now home of the 2016 college football national champions, the Clemson Tigers. I am proud to be here and say, ``Go Tigers.'' Congratulations, Clemson.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and honor an American hero, Mr. William Trammell, born January 28, 1920. A lifelong resident of Anderson County, he graduated from Clemson University in 1941 in the exceptional class of graduates known as the ``wartime class,'' where 57 of his classmates lost their lives in World War II. They composed the backbone of what we understand today as the Greatest Generation.

Captain Trammell joined the 1st Engineer Amphibian Brigade during the war, and he was sent to Europe to fight the Nazis. He participated in the North Africa invasion, as well as campaigns in Tunisia, southern Italy, and southern France. Fortunately, he returned home after 3\1/2\ years overseas suffering only minor injuries.

Once home, he pursued the American Dream. Mr. Trammell successfully operated three businesses, one of which is still in operation today and operated by his oldest son, Steve.

Mr. Trammell, along with his wife, Thelma, worked on the Eisenhower campaign. To this day, he represents the highest quality of individual that we expect as Americans. He has served his community and country with honor, dignity, and love. Today I would like to wish Mr. Trammell a happy 95th birthday.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage the House, as well as all Americans, to strive to live life as this exceptional man has and to dedicate their lives to something greater than themselves.

I thank the gentlewoman from Florida for her leadership on this issue, not just today, but for her whole tenure in Congress.

As the new chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, I was grateful to see the return of Alan Gross to the United States last month after 5 years of unjust imprisonment in Cuba. The announcement over this past weekend that the Cubans freed 53 prisoners was also welcome news.

Nevertheless, I have major concerns with the way this administration, the Obama administration, conducted negotiations and the way the decision was made to radically alter longstanding U.S. policy towards Cuba.

The administration failed to consult Congress, failed to consult any Cuban dissidents or civil society in its decision to embark on its new course in Cuba. The administration says this decision will empower the Cuban people; yet softening U.S. policy without concrete Cuban reforms will only boost the Castro regime and government and facilitate the survival of the communist regime.

We need to focus not on what is best for the Cuban Government, the Castro regime, we need to focus on what is best for the Cuban people.

I ask you this: Will this deal mean more self-governance for the Cuban people? Will it mean more economic freedom for those who strive to innovate, those that are entrepreneurial within the Cuban society? Will they be able to start more businesses and have economic freedom? Will there be more religious freedom for the Cuban people? Will there be more rights to free speech? Are the Cuban people seeing this debate tonight on Cuban TV? Are the Cuban people able to access the Internet and watch what we are doing via YouTube or any other media? These are rhetorical questions, but I answer them with ``no,'' based on my understanding.

I recall it was only 1 week after the announcement of this U.S.-Cuba deal that the Cuban Government cracked down on peaceful protestors in Havana's Revolutionary Square. I point to that as evidence that it is still a closed communistic society.

In conclusion, the administration's decision is a reward to the communist dictatorship at the expense of the Cuban people. This action is especially disgraceful when we consider the administration's disrespect toward our friend and ally in Canada by vowing to veto legislation approving the construction of the Keystone pipeline.

These are issues that require vigorous congressional oversight. I look forward to working with the ranking member, Mr. Sires, that you just heard from, as we hold hearings in the Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere in the coming weeks and month.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the life and career of Mr. John A. Miller, Jr. for his 41 years of involvement with AnMed Health System and with the local community in South Carolina. John began his career with AnMed Health in 1973, eventually becoming its Chief Operating Officer (COO) in 1978 and serving as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) from 1998 to the present. I have appreciated John's expert views on healthcare policy and economic development over the years.

Anchored by AnMed Health Medical Center in downtown Anderson, South Carolina, AnMed Health is one of the largest employers in South Carolina's Third Congressional District with over 500 physicians and nearly 4,000 employees. The 690-bed, not-for-profit health system is one of the state's largest not-for-profit independent health systems and serves South Carolina, Georgia, and North Carolina. AnMed Health also serves as a local hub of medical education, partnering with institutions such as Clemson University, Anderson University, The Medical University of South Carolina, and AnMed Health's own Family Medicine residency program in the training of future healthcare professionals, which has graduated over 300 family doctors since 1975.

John began his career with AnMed Health in 1973 after graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, serving in the U.S. Navy and completing a Masters of Health Administration from Duke University. John has also received an Honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Anderson University. John's career in healthcare now spans nearly 41 years as does his involvement in the Anderson Community and across the region. He has served in numerous leadership capacities with a number of local, regional, state, and national organizations, including the Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce, the Anderson Area YMCA, the Anderson County United Way, Innovate Anderson, Hospice of the Upstate, Upstate South Carolina Alliance, Ten at the Top, Leadership South Carolina, and the SC Chamber of Commerce.

During John's tenure at AnMed Health, he has led AnMed Health from a community hospital to a comprehensive health system, encompassing five hospitals, a modern cancer center, a comprehensive home care division, a Level II trauma center, a cardiac and orthopedic center, three outpatient surgery centers, a family medicine residency program, two minor cares, two retail pharmacies, and a network of physician practices. John's knowledge and understanding of the changing healthcare landscape and his ongoing dedication to the organization and the community have ensured the continued realization of AnMed Health's founder Jennie Gilmer's vision to bring comprehensive and quality healthcare to the Anderson community. While at the helm of AnMed Health, he has continued to encourage the achievement of the gold standard for the health system by lending support to AnMed Health in its achievement of Magnet designation for nursing excellence by earning Top 100 recognitions by organizations such as Thomas Reuters and Becker's Hospital Review, U.S News and World Reports Best Regional Hospital, and numerous accreditations from the Joint Commission and other national organizations.

John has contributed to the advancement of the healthcare industry on a local, regional, state, and national level over the past four decades by serving in a leadership capacity with such organizations as the American Hospital Association, the American College of Healthcare Executives, the South Carolina Hospital Association, and many others. While he is leaving his leadership post, he will still remain active with AnMed Health and various national and local organizations. I know that John will always be there to offer much needed counsel to those in need. Mr. Speaker, on behalf of the 3rd District of South Carolina, I wish to express our deepest thanks to Mr. John A. Miller, Jr. for his significant contributions to AnMed Health, the local and regional communities, and healthcare overall. We wish him and his family all the best in their future endeavors.

I want to thank the gentleman from Nebraska for his leadership on energy, and for having this opportunity to discuss with the American people the things you are talking about, the impact of the rules and regulations the Obama administration has put forward with coal-fired power plants.

In my State of South Carolina, with the number of power plants that we have that are coal-fired generated, we will see rates go up. And, as you say, they have got until 2016. Well, the Obama administration will leave office in 2016, and that is when you are really going to see the impact of rates going up in States like South Carolina, Nebraska, and others that use coal. The Obama administration won't feel the impact and the pressure from the voters because they will no longer be in office.

But let me tell you about a winning message, and that is jobs, energy, and the Founding Fathers, things we have talked about this week as we passed this energy package.

Jobs. Let's unleash and unbridle that innovative and entrepreneurial spirit in America. Let Americans create jobs with the understanding that government creates jobs, but the government creates government jobs.

Americans create American jobs, and they do that through energy. Energy is a segue to job creation, and, if you dispute that fact, go to North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, or Louisiana. Look at the jobs that are created there. There are low unemployment rates, even negative unemployment rates, in North Dakota.

It is an energy-driven economy. Jobs and energy. Energy is a segue to job creation. Our Founding Fathers unleashing that entrepreneurial spirit, understanding the American Dream, understanding limited government, free markets, and individual liberties.

We do that by simple things like approving the Keystone pipeline to bring that friendly Canadian oil down to the refineries where we have capacity in this country, working with our best and largest trading partner to the North.

It just makes sense as you approach American energy independence. If we as a Congress can't approach American energy independence, why not North American energy independence, working with the Canadians and also looking south to Mexico, which just did away with the nationalization of their energy sector, privatizing more and more of Pemex and the other energy resources, opening up the Transboundary Hydrocarbon Agreement area in the western gap? A million and a half acres are now open to production on the Mexican and U.S. sides of the western gap.

In South Carolina, we want offshore energy production. I want to applaud the Palmetto Policy Forum for a study they just put out that shows the economic impact. When people think about energy jobs and offshore, they think about the guys in the hard hats and the oily uniforms turning the drill on the derrick.

But guess what? It is all the jobs that are created onshore to support that effort offshore. Those are the pipefitters and the welders and the widgetmakers and the auto body mechanics and the supply vessels and the heating and air repair guys that go out to the rigs and repair the heating and air and the refrigeration and other things that are going on out there because it is a way of life.

Those guys are onshore, at home, and they are eating at their local restaurants and tipping their waitresses and going to their churches and tithing. They are joining the United Way and the chamber of commerce and sponsoring those ball teams.

It is a trickle down. The first domino that falls is for us to allow offshore drilling.

The bill we passed this week does a lot. I want to applaud the Energy and Commerce Committee, but I also want to applaud Doc Hastings and the Natural Resources Committee.

It increases offshore production, increases onshore production. It opens up that Federal land that is currently off the table for oil and gas production, but also wind, solar, and transmission lines and all the things that happen, that is now off the table on Federal land out West.

Look at a map of the West. There are a lot of sunny areas out there in the desert; but guess what? You own it. Your taxpayer dollars set it aside. It is Federal lands, but it is off-limits. Even if you believe in solar and wind power, you can't have that on Federal land because it is off the table for that type of production as well.

This prevents duplicative hydraulic fracturing regulations. Guess what? We have got an abundance of natural gas in this country, and we are finding more and more every day onshore. We can build LNG terminals.

We heard a great speech from the President of Ukraine today. If we could export LNG from America to Ukraine, lessen Ukraine's dependence on Russian gas and also export the technology that we have for fracturing, they want that technology because they want to lessen their dependence on Russian gas.

It is because of a word that he mentioned over and over today, Mr. Speaker, and that was ``freedom.'' Freedom. Freedom from Russian gas and that dependence. Europe wants it because they are dependent on Russian gas as well.

Let's export the LNG, the gas that we are producing in abundance in this country, and let's help our allies in Europe and Ukraine.

All that we do, all the bills that we talked about, we have had an absent Senate when it comes to energy independence, and we have had an absent White House when it comes to energy independence, other than supporting Solyndra and other green initiatives and wasting taxpayer dollars.

We need real things that work. It takes 24/7 base load power in this country to make the engines of the economy work. 24/7. What does that mean? Base load power, what does that mean? That means when you flip the light switch and the lights come on; and, when the companies that are manufacturing products all over this great land cut those machines on, this power supply is available to turn the engines of the economy, producing American jobs, producing American manufacturing items.

That happens with 24/7 base load power that comes from coal, natural gas, hydro, that comes from nuclear power, all of the things we should support while we continue to work on the necessary components for wind and solar to actually work, and that is the storage capacity because wind and solar is intermittent.

The sun doesn't always shine, and the wind doesn't always blow, but I will tell you what works, and that is the proven technologies of oil and gas, nuclear, hydro, the things that we are talking about in the bills we passed today that actually work.

Jobs, energy, and our Founding Fathers. Let's put Americans to work. Let's unleash that innovative and entrepreneurial spirit. Let's have an energy-driven economy, and we can do it.

South Carolina wants to be a part of that. Nebraska is already a part of that. Indiana--I have talked with Indiana folks that are here. South Carolina wants to be a part of that as well.

I thank the gentleman for his leadership on this.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this amendment, as I believe it is a plan which will not be successful.

Ronald Reagan reminded us to carry ``a banner of no pale pastels, but bold colors which make it unmistakably clear where we stand'' on the issues.

No offense, but I believe the plan before us is one of pale pastels when the world needed bold action by the leader of the free world.

Who will we be supporting by arming unknown rebels in Syria? Will we not be getting involved in a Syrian civil war?

If the fight is with ISIL--and I believe there must be a fight against

these genocidal extremists--then let's take it to them in Iraq, begin by assisting the Kurds who have been doing the heavy lifting against ISIL after the Iraqis cut and ran.

I could support boots on the ground once again in Iraq, reclaiming the ground for which so much American blood and treasure has been expended to liberate, but not arming unknown rebels.

Do you remember Benghazi? We armed and assisted rebels there; and, now, al Qaeda controls Libya from Benghazi to Tripoli, even swimming in the U.S. Embassy swimming pool in Tripoli.

We should not send $500 million or $1 to rebels in Syria, especially at a time when the Department of Defense and National Guard budgets are being cut here at home.

I believe even the war-weary Americans are looking to support a plan from President Obama that is decisive, lethal to the enemies of freedom, and definitive. This plan is not it.

Mr. Speaker, before we go home for the August work period, I think it is important for this House to reaffirm to the world our support for Israel. Under President Obama, it would seem that America has switched sides from its historical support for Israel, which dates back to 1948.

The President seems to want hostilities to end so bad that he and his supporting cast within the mainstream media fail to remember or point out that Hamas has been lobbing rockets into Israel from shortly after Israel's withdrawal from Gaza in 2005.

In Secretary Kerry's mind, it would seem, a stop to hostilities means Israel must stop defending its people. But there is never mention of Hamas ending the constant barrage of rockets--22 red alerts have gone off thus far in Israel today. That is not 22 rockets. That is 22 separate events where rockets have been launched into Israel.

This President seems more interested in appeasing Hamas, which is a terrorist organization, than he is in comprehending Israel's desire to end this threat to its people and its existence.

This position put forward by the President and his Secretary of State, John Kerry, is an injustice and a betrayal toward a longtime friend and ally in the region. Israel deserves better, and they deserve more, Mr. President.

As for me and my office and my house and my family, we will always stand with Israel.

Mr. Speaker, I would just remind my colleague from Maryland who just spoke that, in my humble opinion, Harry Reid shut down the government.

Mr. Speaker, let me explain for everybody watching at home across America what the separation of powers doctrine means. I know this is obvious for most Americans because we study it in school. But since our constitutional scholar President doesn't seem to get it, it apparently needs to be explained again.

Our Constitution says that we, the legislative branch--this branch-- we write the laws. The President executes the laws. And the courts settle any dispute we may have. Got it? We write the laws. The President executes the laws. The court settles the disputes.

Our Constitution does not say that the President gets to write his own laws. Our Founders knew that was a bad idea. They had seen kings wield that kind of power, and they knew they didn't want that for the new Nation. They understood that too much power in the hands of any one person or any one group of people would inevitably lead to tyranny.

As Christian men of the day, they understood that since the Garden of Eden, man is fallen, and that fallen men, once they have a taste of power, they will always lust for more. They knew that ``Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely.''

So in their understanding of fallen man, the remedy was a system of checks and balances, and clearly delineated, but separate, powers divided among three equal branches of government. We write the laws. The President executes them. It should be simple, right?

Mr. Speaker, we are here today because the President has failed us in two directions. He has failed to execute the laws we have written, and he has rewritten the laws on his own. I believe that is a breach of his oath of office to uphold the laws.

So we are gathered here, as the first branch, the legislative branch, the branch that is closest to the people, to seek the judicial branch's help in reining in the power of an out-of-control executive branch, plain and simple. We are here specifically to bring legal action against the President of the United States to stop him from unilaterally rewriting the so-called Affordable Care Act.

By the way, that is really a misnomer. There is nothing ``affordable'' about the Affordable Care Act, and the American people know it. But really, that is a discussion for another day.

From the individual mandate to the business mandate to the waivers for Big Labor to the HHS regulations that were struck down by the Supreme Court, to the decision just last week to exempt the U.S. territories--how many people is that, 4 million people?--exempt 4 million more people from the law known as ObamaCare with just the action of the President's pen, time and time and time again, we have seen this President rewrite the law.

But rewriting ObamaCare isn't only one of the ways this President has abused his power. Look at the mess on the southern border right now, a mess of the President's own making, thanks to his decision not to enforce the immigration law and his attempt to attempt to rewrite that law through a failed DACA regulation and so-called ``prosecutorial discretion.'' Last week, I sent the President 21 tweets which laid out the things that he could do to stop this mess at the border that are within the law, within his purview. And still, he continues to operate outside the law.

And it is not just the border and ObamaCare. It is DOMA and the NLRB and an out-of-control EPA trying to backdoor cap-and-trade legislation, a regulatory war on coal, and the waters of the United States-- regulation after regulation, administrative action after action with no basis in real, actual bona fide law that this body has passed. This administration has chosen repeatedly to flout laws or to try to rewrite laws without going through the legislative process that our Founders set up for us.

The Constitution, they are laying all over the place. Get a copy. Look at it. Understand the separation of powers.

This Congress must use every power at our disposal to restore balance to our government and uphold the rule of law. We have voted repeatedly to use the power of the purse to cut off funding for unconstitutional activities within this administration. We have voted repeatedly, Mr. Speaker, to overturn bad regulations. We passed the ENFORCE Act, the REINS Act, and I have cosponsored numerous other efforts that repair our broken system of checks and balances in order to stop the overreaches of this administration. We must act today, and we must continue to act until this administration and this President relent and get it right.

I support this resolution to take this President to court.

Let's take this President to court because I believe we need to take whatever steps are necessary and in our power to rein in this administration and hold them accountable to the United States Constitution and citizens of the United States of America.

The Founding Fathers gave us this recourse to restore the balance of power and uphold the rule of law. That is why this is so important for the legislative branch to reassert our authority, to make the law so he can enforce the law.

May God continue to bless this body. May God continue to bless the men and women that serve this country. And may God continue to bless the United States of America.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in honor of former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and The American Dream on his 66th birthday. This world renown Championship body builder, turned Movie Star Icon, to Governor of California is the antifascist of The American Dream. He is a champion for physical fitness and children's causes. He is living proof that hard work and believing in yourself has no limits in America. I ask that this poem penned in honor of his 66th birthday by Albert Carey Caswell be placed in the Record.

66 Reps, To Be the Best . . .

66 Reps!

To Be The Best!

Will we LEAD, or will we rest?

Do we BUILD on our success?

But To Be The Best!

Will we fall,

or will we CREST?

Do we follow,

or will we LEAD?

Showing our world,

what it is that she so NEEDS!

Do we make our lives FULL,

or shallow?

Mr. Speaker, on June 26, South Carolina and the United States lost a hero. Sergeant Bob Reasoner was a World War II United States Army Air Corps veteran and a tail gunner assigned to the 68th Squadron, with the famous 44th Bomber Group known as The Flying 8 Balls.

The events of December 7, 1941, compelled Mr. Reasoner to serve in World War II, survive three life-threatening missions, a year in German POW camps, and 2\1/2\ years in a hospital undergoing multiple surgeries from his injuries.

During Sergeant Reasoner's military career, he participated in 21 successful bombing missions over Germany and France. During the return flight of one of those missions, Bob's plane was unexpectedly diverted, ran out of fuel, and crashed in Wales.

While he was at the hospital recuperating from his injuries, Bob was given the option to return to the United States but turned down that offer so he could continue to serve his country.

On October 1, 1943, Sergeant Reasoner flew his last mission, during which his B-24 Liberator, the Black Jack, as it was known, was attacked and caught fire. Parachuting to the ground with his head engulfed in flames--now remember that Sergeant Reasoner was a tail gunner. He had a long way to travel from the rear of that aircraft as it burned, falling from the sky.

But as he was parachuting down, he passed out from his injuries, and he woke up in a hospital. His head and his eyes were wrapped in bandages, and all he could hear was German.

He was now a POW, captured by the German soldiers. His captors allowed him only a weeklong hospital stay before shuffling him between different POW camps over the next year.

On his 26th birthday, September 26, 1944, he returned home to the United States of America. He told me, he said: ``That was the first time I felt safe. Seeing the Statue of Liberty was an amazing feeling because I knew then that I was home.''

Bob Reasoner earned three Purple Hearts for his heroic service to our country. But if Bob was still alive today, he would say that he wouldn't want his service defined by his numerous distinctions that he was awarded but, rather, he would want us to remember the 21 successful missions he was a part of to help secure freedom for this country and many other countries.

I had the opportunity to meet Bob in my hometown of Clinton, South Carolina, where he was in a retirement home, and I heard his stories firsthand. And after talking to Bob, I went on to learn more about the heroic actions of the 44th Bomb Group.

During my research, I came across a great compilation by Will Lundy, who was a ground crewman on the 67th Bomb Squadron of the 44th Bomb Group, called the Roll of Honor and Casualties.

I recommend everyone look that up and read it. The stories are amazing.

This compilation documents the heroic stories of these men who fought for our freedoms, including my friend, Bob Reasoner.

He lived his life quietly among us, bearing the scars of war and service. His ear was mangled. His eyelids had been reconstructed. He bore the scars of numerous burns.

I am especially grateful for Mr. Reasoner's bravery in protecting the United States, and I grieve with his family and friends during the loss of a great man, an American soldier and a true American hero.

May God bless the men and women who served in World War II. May God continue to bless those who serve our country and have served our country, and may God continue to bless the United States of America.

Madam Speaker, as part of the House Energy Action Team, it is important for us to address the hardworking American taxpayers that are concerned about their rising energy costs and who want to know what their United States Congress is going to do about the issue of energy independence, the cost of fuel, the cost of electricity, and the fact that they have got less money in their wallet after a week of driving back and forth between work and taking the kids to school and ball games and church and all the things that we, as average Americans, do. After they pay for the fuel to do all of that, to drive their vehicles to and fro, they reach in their wallet for extra cash, and there is none left. What is the United States Congress going to do about the rising cost of energy?

I came to Washington to focus on three things: jobs, energy, and our Founding Fathers.

Jobs. How about unleashing and unbridling the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit of Americans that will actually turn this economy around by putting Americans to work, lessening the number of Americans on the welfare rolls, and actually having Americans earn their way? Jobs.

Energy. Energy is a segue to job creation in this country. Look at the States that have energy-driven economies like Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, and North Dakota. North Dakota has a 3 percent unemployment rate or less. In fact, McDonald's is paying a finder's fee. If you have got somebody who wants to go to work at a McDonald's in North Dakota, they will pay you a finder's fee.

Jobs and energy. Energy is a segue to job creation and putting Americans to work. We are not just talking about the men and women wearing the hard hats and the oil uniforms out on the drilling platforms or in the Bakken up in North Dakota, turning those drills and producing that, whether it is through horizontal drilling or hydraulic fracturing or shallow water or deep water offshore. Yes, those are good-paying jobs. Those are hardworking American taxpayers. But think about all the other jobs that support the offshore industry and the onshore industry.

These are Americans that are working doing pipefitting and welding. And guess what. Pipes fall on truck beds,

and the beds have to be repaired. So there are auto body mechanics and engine mechanics. All these people work in that industry. It can be those in HVAC. Folks are going out on the rigs to fix the air conditioner or provide the food service or the transportation or the supply vessels carrying the drilling mud and the diesel fuel.

Everything that it takes to support energy production in this country, guess what. Those folks are going to the local restaurants and they are eating and they are giving tips to the waitresses. They are going to their churches and they are tithing. They are joining the United Way and they are sponsoring ball teams. They are supporting our local communities.

You see it all up and down the Texas and Louisiana highways. You see it in North Dakota and Oklahoma. And guess what. We want to see it in South Carolina.

In fact, there are some gentlemen here that want to see it off their coast or may want to see it expanded in their States, whether it is onshore or offshore. They understand that energy production is a segue to putting Americans to work.

Jobs, energy, and our Founding Fathers. Limited government, free markets, individual liberties, unleashing that entrepreneurial spirit that Americans have within us to go and create and do and put Americans to work and, yes, pay taxes to the government so the government can do its constitutional role.

Jobs, energy, and our Founding Fathers is a great acronym. It spells ``Jeff,'' and I am all about Jeff.

We want to see the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf opened up. We want to see some seismic work done first. That is the first step. Let's see what is out there.

They are looking at 30-year-old seismic graphs, trying to figure out are there recoverable resources off the coast of South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, the States that want to see that area opened up.

Using 30-year-old technology and 30-year-old graphs, let's see some 21st century technology drug in the Atlantic, like 4-D and 3-D technology, to actually see down in the Earth and see what sort of resources might be recoverable.

Let's allow the seismic work, and let's allow universities like the University of South Carolina do it. Being a Clemson graduate, it pains me to say that the University of South Carolina and Dr. James Knapp are leading the way, teaching the young, new minds to use that seismic technology and look at those graphs and figure out where those resources are. He is doing tremendous work there at the University of South Carolina. Let's open up more areas.

It is hard for me to applaud the Obama administration on a whole lot, but I will applaud them on a transboundary hydrocarbon agreement signed by then-Secretary Clinton with Mexico that opened up a million and half acres in the Gulf of Mexico, shared resources right under that maritime boundary between the United States and Mexico.

Mexico just denationalized their energy company, Pemex. They are opening up to more private investments. We are going to see great things happen in the transboundary area. But even though she signed that agreement, the administration failed to send to this Congress the implementing language to actually make it happen and to include those areas in the next 5-year plan. That took an act of Congress. That took a bill that passed out of this body last year. That took efforts like Paul Ryan had in the omnibus to get the transboundary hydrocarbon implementing language in the omnibus so that we could open up that million and a half acres and we could put more men and women here in America, hardworking American taxpayers, to work developing the energy resources that we have in this country.

God bless the United States of America. He continues to bless us with the resources here to be truly American energy independent. We are working with our neighbors to the north with something like the Keystone pipeline--which should happen--to bring that Canadian oil into this country to the refineries where we have idle capacity and to put that oil into the marketplace in gasoline and plastic and asphalt and diesel fuel and all the other butanes and all the other elements that come out of a barrel of hydrocarbons when you put it under pressure and it separates naturally in all sorts of wonderful God-given elements.

The Keystone pipeline should happen. That is a no-brainer for most Americans that I talk to, but apparently the administration just doesn't get it. They don't get that the Keystone pipeline will put Americans to work.

We are talking about jobs. We are talking about energy. We are talking about less government. The Keystone pipeline and North American energy independence includes working with our neighbors to the south in Mexico as they decentralize, denationalize their energy industry, and more private investment, more American companies going down there developing those resources so we can possibly have North American energy independence, if not just American energy independence.

I am joined by a number of Members of Congress here that are part of the House Energy Action Team. One gentleman from the neighboring State to my north understands what I talked about with the Outer Continental Shelf and that mid-Atlantic, south Atlantic OCS area that we believe has resources. If you look at the geology, North Africa and the Middle East and England were all together one time with the United States, and the resources and geology are very similar. We believe that in the south. I know in South Carolina we may have some recoverable resources, and we can be players in that.

I know the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hudson) wants to talk, I am sure, about that North Carolina offshore area.

I thank the gentleman from North Carolina.

This is a picture of the State newspaper in South Carolina. It says: Oil Exploration OK'd Off South Carolina and the Entire East Coast.

The Department of the Interior has actually said: You know what? We are going to allow some seismic to actually happen off the coast of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Virginia so we can see what is out there.

This is good news, America. This is good news because we are actually going to see that there are recoverable resources of our coast.

And I ask the question again of the Americans that may be tuned in: How much more is your regular travel costing, with gasoline prices being well north of $3 a gallon in this country? Or to ask a different way: How much less money do you have in your wallet after you travel back and forth to work--your normal travel and not summertime vacation travel--your normal travels from home to work and back, taking the kids to school, taking them to the ball games, going to church, going to the grocery store, all the things that you do, how much less money do you have?

I know in North Carolina and South Carolina, our constituents have experienced that.

Another member of the House Energy Action Team from Texas--and Texas gets it, because, God bless Texas, with Spindletop, Eagle Ford, Barnett, and a lot of other resources, they understand energy and they understand the jobs that come about from energy production.

I yield to Mr. Weber of Texas, because I know he has got a great story to tell.

I thank the gentleman from Texas. As I said earlier, Texas gets it.

I remember a colleague of ours from Louisiana who said that drilling equals jobs. That sums it up--drilling equals jobs. I appreciate the gentleman from Louisiana, Jeff Landry, our former colleague, for sharing that with us.

I drive a diesel truck. I was filling up just recently back in the spring, and there happened to be an off-road diesel pump right beside the on-road diesel pump that I was at. I was paying about $3.59 a gallon for diesel fuel for my pickup, and I noticed the off-road diesel fuel price was about 10 cents less, about $3.49. I took a picture of it, and I shared it on Facebook because I wanted folks to realize America's farmers are paying $3.49 a gallon for off-road diesel fuel. This is a fuel you can't run on the highway because the Federal Government and the States don't collect any highway taxes from off-road fuel. It is just pure diesel fuel. If this is what America's farmers put in their tractors, it is off-road for a reason. If they are paying $3.49 a gallon for off-road diesel fuel, that is an input cost. That is a cost of production.

They are putting $3.49 a gallon of diesel fuel in their tractors to plant our crops and, in the fall, to harvest our crops. I think about the cost of fertilizer right now, which should be low because natural gas is abundant in this country--and I think the gentleman from Pennsylvania is going to talk about this in just a minute and what they have found in Pennsylvania. Natural gas is a huge component in the production of fertilizer, but fertilizer is at an historical high still. So you have got the input cost for farmers of off-road diesel fuel at $3.49 a gallon--that input cost and the cost of fertilizer.

We know of the regulations the gentleman from Texas was talking about that the EPA continues to push down on Americans, and America's farmers are feeling the brunt of it on where they can spray their pesticides or their herbicides and how far from ditches they need to be. There is some common sense there, I understand, but there is regulation after regulation. We have even combated, since I have been in Congress, the regulation of farm dust. Now, can you believe that the EPA would want to regulate dust created through the normal agricultural process?

The input cost of farmers will be affected and will affect the price, rather, of the commodities that moms and dads buy when they go to the grocery store this fall after harvest time. You think about commodity prices being high, and we are already seeing historically high milk prices, historically high beef prices, historically high fuel prices to go back and forth to the grocery store just to buy those commodities. It means less money for the hardworking American taxpayers at the end of the day who are having to pay extra for ObamaCare, extra in taxes to pay for the large government and government spending that we see. We can help. This Congress can help by lowering the price of fuel-- gasoline for America's truckers and for America's moms and dads who travel back and forth.

We have got an abundance of natural gas in this country. It gets a bad rap when you use words like ``hydraulic fracturing.'' I will tell you it is working in Marcellus in Pennsylvania and Ohio. It could work in New York if they would get off their can and open up those areas.

The gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Rothfus) understands. He understands the area of Marcellus, so I yield to the gentleman so he can talk about that area.

I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania. He has been a leader in his short time in Congress as a freshman on energy issues because he gets what is going on in his home State.

I keep returning to the State of Texas because Texas, they have been developing energy resources for a very, very long time. When you think about Texas and Oklahoma, that is where it began in this country, the immense resources they have.

I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe), one of my heroes and good friends who wants to talk about what is going on in his home State.

I thank the gentleman from Texas. He has been a leader as long as I have known him on energy issues, representing Houston. I have been to Houston. I have seen the activity around the oil and gas industry, and I can tell you there are some States that want a little piece of that. South Carolina is one of those.

You are exactly right on the LNG terminals. Ukraine, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, they are all reliant on Russian gas now and they are concerned about the posturing of Russia, and they are concerned about whether that spigot might be turned off, that pipeline might be interrupted that supplies the much-needed energy that they enjoy currently.

They are looking west. They are looking to the United States. How about exporting your natural gas? You have got a ton of it. How about giving us some of it? We will buy it. We will pay you for it.

India, as the gentleman said. It is a geopolitical advantage that the United States has.

I was mentioning earlier about the areas that are opened up for development, and I wanted to show America this. I know it is small, but you can see the orange. That is right around South America. All that area in orange is open for energy development.

But look at North America. There is a lot of blue water. There are a lot of areas outside of the Gulf of Mexico, outside of the area off of Alaska, that are not available to energy production. They should be and they could be.

We have got a letter, a Dear Colleague letter, that we are sending to Secretary Jewell, saying, Look, we need a new 5-year plan for leasing the Outer Continental Shelf area. We want to see certain areas like the mid- and South Atlantic included in that area, want to continue opening up more and more of the gulf.

But we would love to see the areas that are reflected in blue and not open on the map I just showed. Countries like Canada and Mexico and China, they are ramping up their efforts to develop their offshore resources and will be directly competing with the United States.

It is past time, America, that we develop the resources that we have been blessed with here in this country.

This letter, I am a leader on it. I am asking my colleagues, I am asking Americans to contact your Congressman and say, how about get on that letter to Secretary Jewell that Congressman Duncan has got, and let's encourage her to open up more areas that might be available in the next 5-year plan.

Five years out, let's open up more areas for energy production. Let's have lease sales. Let's allow exploration.

I know the next gentleman from Virginia, he gets it as well because I have dealt with Virginia for a long time. Senator Frank Wagner, from over near Norfolk, I met early on in my delving into the whole energy spectrum and arena.

I went offshore on the Gulf of Mexico with the Senator, and he taught me about what Virginia was doing. They were leading with an energy plan for the State of Virginia. They were leading with looking toward the offshore areas.

I know the gentleman that represents that area in the United States Congress, Mr. Rigell, fully understands that. I yield to the gentleman.

I thank the gentleman from Virginia for getting on the letters, the right letter to include that area.

Energy production in the United States means lower energy costs for Americans. It is as simple as that. Energy independence through production here at home in our own backyards keeps Americans safe from the turmoil around the world.

The U.S. Atlantic and the entire OCS is a missed opportunity, but it is not an opportunity we are going to continue missing. It is an opportunity we are going to continue to propose, we are going to continue to support, because when Americans are free to dream and innovate, they will always find a cheaper, safer, cleaner, and more efficient way to produce energy and use energy. We need to make it happen.

I will now ask my colleague from Oklahoma--who I believe will be the next Senator from Oklahoma and will take a tremendous amount of experience over to the United States Senate, where I know he will talk about what is going on in Oklahoma now and what has gone on in Oklahoma in the past because he has educated me.

They have been fracturing down in Oklahoma for about 50 years. I remember the comments he made to us on the floor one day, right here in a HEAT Leadership Hour. He said: come to Oklahoma, and drink our water.

So I will now yield to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lankford).

I thank the gentleman from Oklahoma for sharing that. He is exactly right.

It is simple. It is supply and demand. That is simple economics. Let's put American oil and natural gas out there on the world market, and I believe you will see the spigot turned on by others that don't want to see us become energy independent, and I think you will see the price down go.

You know, I will get criticized because I want to allow seismic to happen off the Atlantic coast in the OCS areas, and they will say: oh, you are going to hurt the marine mammals, the dolphins and whales and other things.

Well, the environmental impact statement came out. There is good mitigation in there that industry can live with to mitigate any damage. If the whales are migrating north, they could stop those activities, but even with that, there hasn't been a single proven instance.

Now, we have been doing seismic all over the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Africa, in the Mediterranean, in the Red Sea, in the Persian Gulf. All over the world, they have been doing seismic work and not a single proven instance where seismic testing has caused permanent deafness or any other injury to a marine mammal, not a single one, but yet that is the criticism that we will take for wanting to actually look down on the Earth and see if there are recoverable resources.

I will tell you where there are recoverable resources, and that is in the great State of Wyoming, where they get energy--about $1 billion of revenue back to the State of Wyoming through revenue sharing, through the development of their natural resources and those oil and gas and coal deposits they have, and the single Member representing the State of Wyoming (Mrs. Lummis), I am sure can talk about that.

I thank the gentlewoman from Wyoming. She does a fabulous job.

That is one of the things I enjoy about serving in the United States Congress, is meeting the congressmen from all of the other States that can educate me and can educate America about what is going on in their States--what is going on in their

States to help meet Americans' energy needs, to help us truly become energy independent, to do all of the things that we have talked about here this evening.

You know, people back home may say: What have y'all done in Congress? What have you done in the House to address these issues?

We have sent numerous bills over to the Senate, where they languish in Harry Reid's office. The majority leader fails to bring the bills that the House has passed--even if you differ with the elements in those bills, bring them up. Bring them into a committee hearing, and let's have a markup.

Let's change those bills and pass whatever meets your desires for American energy independence or a lack thereof in the Senate. How about change the bills and send them back? We will go to conference, and we will work something out.

Instead, we have got a logjam. All these bills are right behind the dam, and then we could unleash all that power behind the dam by unleashing the American energy independence potential that you have heard talked about here tonight.

We just recently passed an offshore energy jobs bill, Lowering Gasoline Prices to Fuel an America That Works Act, to open up these areas.

I want to commend Chairman Doc Hastings for his work on the Natural Resources Committee to really open up those Federal areas where we talk about those resources. I would like to give a moment of praise to my Senator Tim Scott who has got the SEA Jobs Act that would address a lot of the all-of-the-above energy issues that I have got in the EXPAND Act, to expand Americans' opportunities to pursue their resources and become energy independent, and it provides resources back to the State and revenue sharing and jobs. It works, America.

Energy is a segue to job creation, and that is what we are here to talk about tonight, putting Americans to work, meeting our energy needs, using those geopolitical levers that we may have to influence politics around the world, to help our friends and allies in Ukraine and in Europe that need America's energy resources, that want America's energy resources.

So as we wind down our time here tonight, energy production in the United States means lower energy costs for Americans.

I started out with a very simple question: Americans, how much more is your regular travel costing you? How much more does it cost you to drive from your home to work and back, from your home to school and back, from your home to church and back, and how much less do you have in your wallet at the end of the day because of the amount of money it has taken you to meet the energy needs of just transportation and electricity costs because of EP regulations?

You heard the gentlewoman from Wyoming talk about it and others. We could do something about it. We could solve it here today by meeting our energy needs with energy production. That is why the House energy action team is leading on this issue.

I appreciate the other colleagues being here tonight, and with that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

I thought the gentleman from Texas wanted to talk about energy because I have had the conversation with the gentleman from Texas. I understand it is a passion of his.

But I know the issue you are going to talk about tonight, and that is on that southern border. I know that is on that gentleman's mind because that southern border is porous, and we have no idea, America, who is coming in our country. You are only seeing the 1 to 2 percent of the folks that have actually violated our national sovereignty by crossing our border illegally, and that is the children. But the other 98 percent of the people are not children, and they are not all Hispanics. Some are African and some are Middle Eastern.

I just got a notice a little while ago from Randy Weber from Texas. He showed me on his phone. He was with the Border Patrol this weekend, and they caught someone from Asia who couldn't speak Spanish and couldn't speak American. What is he coming for? Is he coming because there is violence in Guatemala or Honduras? I don't think so. What is he coming to this country for?

I want to thank the gentleman from Texas for his leadership on focusing on this border. Let's keep America secure. Let's secure our border. God bless Texas and Governor Rick Perry for putting the National Guard down there and taking matters into his own hands, because the guy at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue has failed America and failed us in securing our border.

So I want to thank the gentleman for his time, and I want to encourage him to keep pounding that rock because you crack a rock--a big rock--by hitting it in the same spot over and over and over. Eventually, it will crack. I thank the gentleman.

Madam Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Madam Chairman, several coastal States, including my home State of South Carolina, as well as the Commonwealth of Virginia, have long advocated for responsible offshore energy development for our shores. This resource development starts with seismic surveying and goes all the way to production.

Unfortunately, the Obama administration has blocked this exploration and development every step of the way, from tying up the seismic permitting process in bureaucratic delays to excluding several Atlantic States from the current 5-year plan.

As we move forward to plan for a more secure energy future, opening access to new areas of our Outer Continental Shelf, or OCS, is a no- brainer. We must do it to stay competitive and to generate American energy and American jobs.

When BOEM conducts their 5-year planning process, they use administrative boundaries to divide up areas for leasing. This amendment simply tells them to consider Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia as one area.

Our amendment is simple: it unifies four pro-offshore drilling States as one administrative area for offshore leasing planning purposes. It also ensures that the South Atlantic meets the underlying threshold in H.R. 4899--and I want to commend Chairman Doc Hastings for his leadership on this--so that sales in this area will be included in future 5-year plans under this legislation.

Our amendment does not have any effect on revenue-sharing and it does not hold back other Atlantic areas from seeking to develop energy off their shores.

I will give a shout-out to Senator Tim Scott, who has also taken the initiative on the Senate side for this very issue.

Madam Chairman, I came to Washington as a Congressman to focus on jobs, energy, and our Founding Fathers. H.R. 4899 focuses on job creation. Energy production is a segue to job creation in this country.

If you look at North Dakota, Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana, these are energy-producing States that have very, very low unemployment. North Dakota has a 3 percent unemployment rate--or

less. In fact, you can get a finder's fee if you get somebody to work at a McDonald's in North Dakota.

We can have economic development in this country if we allow energy production onshore and offshore. My State of South Carolina wants to see those energy jobs along our coast.

These are not just the oily guys in the hard hats out on the rigs turning the drill. These are folks onshore supporting the offshore industry. These are the widgetmakers, the pipefitters, the welders, auto body mechanics, and the waitresses at the restaurants that receive the tips from all these workers, the churches that receive the tithes, the chambers of commerce and United Ways that receive our contributions.

Energy jobs have a tremendous trickle-down effect on the economy. The first domino is to actually open up these areas, and I think that is what South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia want to see.

They want to see our areas offshore at least included in the next 5 years plan, so guess what? Maybe we can go out there and drive some seismic. Maybe we can get beyond this 30-year old technology that we are using to see if there are any resources off our coast. Maybe we can actually use 21st century technology like 3-D and 4-D technology that will actually see down into the Earth and see what recoverable resources may or may not be there.

Let's allow these areas in the next 5-year plan to help create jobs in our States--jobs, energy, our Founding Fathers, and a return to more states' rights issues.

I yield to the gentleman.

I thank the gentleman from Washington for his leadership on this.

Madam Chairman, the folks in Florida were concerned, but guess what? This area stops at the Florida-Georgia line. They can deal with their own waters. These are the waters of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia that we are talking about.

I spoke yesterday and had a graph of disease fuel prices in this country--I drive a diesel truck--and of the disparity between off-road and on-road diesel fuel. Let me tell you this: if we, through our policies, could lower the price of diesel fuel by $1 from that $3.69 a gallon for America's truckers down to $2.69--there is a 300-gallon tank on every 18-wheeler. If we could lower the price by $1, we would save every trucker $300 per fill-up. Think about how that trickles down to the price of the commodities when you shop all across America.

I support this amendment, and I ask everyone to support this simple, administrative change.

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

I want to thank the gentleman from Virginia for the time and for his leadership on this issue.

Madam Chairman, I am wearing a Clemson Tiger Paw and an orange tie today in support of Clemson University, but I will tell you that the University of South Carolina has a leading program on geology and seismic testing. Dr. James Knapp testified before this committee about what they can do in looking at 3-D and 4-D 21st century technology to find the resources, to pinpoint those resources, and to maximize the production of those resources. That is what we want--to partner with the universities as Mr. Wittman mentioned--in order to help shape the minds and opportunities and the potential of future leaders within the energy realm.

So I commend him. I support this amendment, and I hope my colleagues will.

Mr. Chairman, I want to first thank Chairman Hastings for his work on H.R. 4899, a bill that actually will ease the pain at the pump for moms and dads. There is no doubt about it.

Just since President Obama has taken office, gasoline prices have more than doubled, and I am not telling the American people anything they don't know because, when they reach in their wallet and take out money to pay for that gas--just to go back and forth to work or take the children to their sporting events or to school--they realize that more of their discretionary income is going to pay the fuel that runs the cars and the trucks that they drive.

I drive a diesel truck. I am paying--what--$3.69 a gallon, most recently. I took this picture at a pump there in South Carolina, $3.69 a gallon for on-road diesel fuel. Now, on that on-road diesel fuel is factored in all the highway taxes, but there was another pump right beside that one. It was for off-road diesel fuel.

Now, historically, off-road diesel fuel is a lot less than on-road diesel fuel. Why? Because there are no Federal taxes involved. It is not going to run on the road, so they are not going to collect taxes for that.

Where is that fuel used? It is used on farms. If you look at the price, it is $3.54 and 9/10 cents a gallon. What does that mean? Well, that means farmers that are just finishing putting their crops in the ground across this Nation paid $3.54 a gallon for off-road diesel fuel. Their input costs have gone up.

What does that mean? If this remains the same at harvest time, guess what? The commodity prices in this country will go up. We are already seeing historically high milk prices, historically high beef prices.

You can try to blame the commodity prices in the fall on the drought in California. Some of that will be the fact, but I can tell you that the input cost for fertilizer and for diesel fuel to put the crops in the ground and harvest those are definitely a factor.

Moms and dads know what is going on. We can increase production in this country offshore and onshore through this bill. The President takes credit for increased production onshore, and I will give him this: production has increased onshore, but it has nothing to do with the policies of this administration.

It has everything to do with the private and State-owned land in South Dakota and places like Eagle Ford, Texas, where production is up. That State and private land has nothing to do with the administration's policies over the last 6 years.

Him taking credit for increased production is like the rooster taking credit for the sunrise every morning. Moms and dads in this country know you are spending more money for fuel costs.

The other side seems out of touch with America, about as out of touch as Hillary Clinton is, the pain you are feeling when you go to the pump to fill up your tank to provide for your family, going back and forth.