Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, the science is clear, as dismemberment abortion procedures pull children apart limb from limb, the baby feels pain. The baby recoils as the instruments get closer. The fight or flight instinct is there. If that isn't proof of life, I don't know what is. These late term abortions must end.

My position on this matter is well-known. It has long been my mission to protect the unborn.

A vast majority of Americans agree, late term abortions are wrong. Period. Full stop.

This bill isn't just for the sake of the babies. This bill protects their mothers. At 20 weeks, this horrendous procedure is risky and subjects mothers to serious dangers.

Lives are at stake, both for mothers and their babies.

I support this bill, and urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, in both chambers to do the same. Thank you Mr. Franks for introducing this important piece of legislation.

Mr. Speaker, in all my years, I have seen a lot of storms, a lot of hurricanes, a lot of floods, a lot of tropical depressions, a lot of rains in Texas. We have a whole variety of weather in Texas and a lot of just about every calamity weather-wise you can think of. I have seen nothing come close to Hurricane Harvey. In 24 hours, we went from Tropical Storm Harvey to Category 4 Hurricane Harvey.

As with most hurricanes, there was no rhyme or reason for the destruction and the ensuing devastation. Harvey's bands of rains sat on southeast Texas with a vengeance and for days on end, and the situation turned quickly from bad to worse.

Mr. Speaker, we got 51 to 53 inches of rain in 3 to 4 days. That part of Texas' annual rainfall is about 53 inches a year. We got a whole year's worth of rainfall in under a week's time. Our great first responders, our volunteers, risked their lives time and time again to save others.

When the Nation saw that we needed help, the boats and the people just kept coming. We got the Cajun Navy from Louisiana; 100 guys with their own boats came to help us. They did things we didn't think were possible, so I coined a new phrase, ``Cajuneering.'' They came in and really helped us. We saw neighbors and strangers alike step up to help each other. That is the Texas way.

When the Nation saw that we needed help, people came pouring in. More

than that, it is not just the Texas way, it is the American way. No matter our creed, our color, our religion or background, we are all united and we work together. Harvey may have brought the downpour, but Texans and Americans brought the outpour.

Texas 14 is arguably ground zero for flooding and devastation. My district, from Brazoria County to Jefferson County, the enormity and the severity of Harvey, sadly, is on full display.

Entire neighborhoods were underwater. How do you recover from that? Your family and your house is underwater, your cars are underwater, your furniture, and, sadly, even some of your most prized and precious heirlooms, family photos and pictures and albums, how do you overcome that?

Well, I will tell you, by working together. Everyone back home in our great State knows someone who needs help, and everyone back home is doing their part to help that person in need.

In all the devastation and destruction, the hope and determination shared among Texans was absolutely remarkable. Harvey may have deluged our State with rain and with water, but he certainly did not dampen our spirit.

One month ago today, Harvey made landfall between Port Aransas and Port O'Connor, the eye of the hurricane. A few days later, Harvey swung back into the Gulf and made landfall just west of Cameron, Louisiana. We literally had a 3-day weather event. Harvey came on shore there by Rockport-Corpus Christi. We got the bands of rain coming up in the hurricane as he came ashore. He then went up north and stayed around for a day or two dumping rain on all of our rivers and streams upstream from us and our watersheds. Then he came back down to southeast Texas, down on the coast, and he worked right over, as I said, in Louisiana. Then after Harvey came Hurricane Irma; after Irma came Jose; and after Jose came Maria. It has been a historic time.

As of Sunday, September 24--let this sink in--817,758 people are registered for disaster assistance. FEMA has distributed $502.6 million in housing assistance and $160.2 million in other assistance. In the one month since Harvey, the first of a series of hurricanes, FEMA has completed 239,612 inspections. Almost 22,000 people are living in hotels because they have no home to return to. That number doesn't even include those who are staying with family and friends.

The Small Business Administration has approved $509.4 million. Homeowners have received, to date, $467.3 million in loans. Businesses have received $42 million in loans. Earlier this month, we passed out of this Chamber, with overwhelming bipartisan support, a $15 billion relief bill. Two or three more of those bills, at a minimum, are expected.

Folks, the monetary damages are adding up to over $150 billion, with a ``B.''

There are five business recovery centers in Texas. There are 41 disaster recovery centers. Over 30-something Texas counties were named in the disaster declaration.

Folks, these are just numbers. They are mind-boggling. You can see the pictures here beside me. Those numbers don't really tell the whole story. Let me tell you: behind those numbers are people; behind those numbers are families; behind those numbers are homes, livelihoods, and businesses. The lives of our great Texans are behind those numbers. Our people are hurting, but they will not let a hurricane keep them down.

Wrapped up in all of the devastation is a bunch of heroes and first responders. I have already talked about the Cajun Navy. I can talk about the States that sent firefighters and first responders from all over this great country of ours. So behind the devastation is a bunch of American heroes. Behind that devastation is a bunch of love, people doing things for others that just makes your heart feel good. Behind that devastation is a bunch of hope that we really are one Nation under God, with liberty and justice and help and mercy for all. Behind that devastation is a bunch of Americans.

Hurricane Harvey reminded us of our deepest, truest American values. United we can accomplish just about anything.

Mr. Speaker, I am going to open up the floor for some of my colleagues. As I said earlier, our great 14th Congressional District is, arguably, ground zero for flooding and devastation, but I have a lot more colleagues here on the floor with us that all have a story to tell.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. McCaul), the distinguished chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security. Chairman McCaul has worked closely with FEMA and many of our first responders. His district saw quite a bit of water as well, and I appreciate his direct involvement and his willingness to be there.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman McCaul for his remarks. I certainly appreciate him and his involvement.

My next friend, Beto O'Rourke, from across the aisle, has seen plenty of Texas action here. Earlier this year, he had a bipartisan trip with Will Hurd. On Facebook, we got to watch that and participate in that. I thank him for doing that. That was a great event. And even though his district may not have seen any water as a result of Harvey--in fact, we would have loved to send him some to El Paso, quite frankly--he is a Texan, he gets it, and he has been there working with us every step of the way.

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. O'Rourke), my good friend.

Thank you, Congressman O'Rourke. And, by the way, happy birthday.

At this time, I recognize my good friend, the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Babin).

I thank you, Dr. Babin. The enormity of this storm and the debt of gratitude that we owe our first responders cannot be overstated.

My good friend, Judge Ted Poe, saw plenty of it up in his district, but he took it in stride, as he always does with any challenge because he is a Texan and he is a fighter. And, Judge, that is just the way it is.

I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe).

Mr. Speaker, I thank Judge Poe. He is exactly correct. Harvey cannot dampen our spirit or those of our neighbors and all of our first responders, those who came and helped.

Texas saw the first of four hurricanes this month. Think about that. Puerto Rico has seen the last two hurricanes. Maria did a number on the island. They are in need of so many things, but one thing is certain that they are not in need of: they have a leader here in Washington, D.C. She has got their back, and I am proud to yield to my good friend, Congresswoman Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congresswoman Gonzalez-Colon for her remarks.

My good friend from the Southwest, Blake Farenthold, is going to come and address us. Blake represents the area where Harvey actually made landfall and brought Category 4 winds and storm surges. As Congressman Farenthold knows, I understand the devastation that that brings. My heart goes out to them, and, Blake, please come share with us.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman Farenthold for his comments. The 27th District of Texas is blessed to have him.

A little background: On Friday, August 25, some of the outer bands of Harvey were beginning to brush the Gulf

Coast. Texans do what we always do to prepare for a storm. We bought the essentials. We prepped the house. We tightened things up. We watched the news. We were as ready for the rain, we thought, as we would ever be.

But what happened, in my 64 years on God's green Earth, is unlike anything I have ever seen before like this. And I am no stranger to the area. I have lived in a 20-mile radius almost my entire life. I hope I have got a lot more to go yet.

We didn't see the sun for 4 days. Over 50 inches of rain, as reported by the weather forecasters on TV news, fell from the sky. Actually, it was about 60 inches in District 4--7, rather, in Jefferson County.

Evacuation orders, mandatory and voluntary, were posted. City after city started posting the notices. Roads were flooded. Some of them had hip-deep water, some of them more.

Now, I am a Texan, kind of like Judge Poe said. Two things apply to me, especially apply to me as a Texan: number one, I am stubborn, and, number two, I have one of those pickup trucks he talked about; although, I don't have a half-ton truck. I have got a Ford F-350 4- wheel drive truck, and I can go through almost waist-deep water.

Starting Saturday, my bride and I began traveling Texas 14, checking on people. We went first to Brazoria County and met with their EOC, emergency operations center. We went to the Hitchcock shelter. We met with volunteers in those shelters. We met with people from the La Marque Police Department, all over, our first responders.

Our first responders worked endless hours and hours. I tell you what, it was heartwarming; and I tell you what, Mr. Speaker, you have never seen anything like that.

From Bay Area Church to the families from League City and Dickinson that sought shelter, we were there with them. At Victory Lakes, we saw much of the same thing in the school there at Victory Lakes and League City.

At Friendswood High School, I met with evacuees, responders, doctors who had come in from other States to be there to help. These are just a handful of the shelters that popped up. These shelters and the volunteers provided a dry place with warm food and warm, friendly smiles, understanding smiles, to hundreds of families in need. That is no exaggeration.

Homes that never came close to flooding were taking on water. Roads turned into rivers. Evacuations and rescues were happening everywhere you looked around.

Mr. Speaker, may I inquire how much time I have left?

Mr. Speaker, I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Farenthold).

I thank the gentleman for that.

You know, we were moving throughout our district, as I was describing. Folks, the sound of a helicopter will never be the same for us. We saw Coast Guard helicopters. We saw Army, Marine helicopters. The Marines arrived in Friendswood.

The sun made a brief appearance on Tuesday evening. I found myself on I-45 in Dickinson passing out water on the overpass there, where the water was about 4 feet deep in the intersection.

Things kept turning from bad to worse. I was honored to meet with EOC leaders from Brazoria, Dickinson, Galveston, and Beaumont.

On Tuesday, August 29, in Friendswood, Texas, the Marines arrived. Thank God for our great Marines.

On Friday, August 31, Beaumont lost water. My bride and I drove almost 7 hours, having to take back road after back road to deliver three pallets of bottled water. My good friend Dwight Sullivan and his wife, Misty, accompanied us with another pallet of water.

We got to Beaumont. I want to gave Mayor Becky Ames of Beaumont a shout-out. She never wavered. She was a stalwart.

Will Crenshaw from Beaumont, Dragon Products, they got in gear and they put a workaround on the water system, laid temporary pipes, got them power, got pumps and got Beaumont some water.

That is just the short version of the first week of Harvey.

The sun finally started to shine again, but the water did not recede overnight. We took many flyovers to assess the damage. President Trump came in. Senator Cornyn, Senator Cruz, Speaker Ryan, and leader Kevin McCarthy were among the many who visited.

Help came from far and wide: New York, Massachusetts, Minnesota. I could go down the list of State after State after State, all Americans, all wanting to help. And, of course, Louisiana and the Cajun Navy we talked about.

Between the Cajun Navy, our Texans, our fellow Americans, there were many countless heroes who haven't been named and many haven't even been thanked at all. So to all of them, I want to say thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the lives you have saved. I witnessed some of the evacuations. Thank you for your heroism. I just can't tell you enough, thank you on behalf of us.

We saws doctors send supplies. We saw hospitals pay for things that normally they would charge for. We saw cattle and horses wading through water. We saw businesses open up their doors and help people. We saw a mother and daughter who took hundreds of evacuees into a Texas City hotel for a home-cooked meal of spaghetti, salad, fresh fruit, and dessert.

You were heroes, Lakewood Church, who did open their doors and provided transportation for the congregants of Beth Yeshurun synagogue.

You heroes were the citizens who saw the incredible effort of your local officials, and you raised money for them to begin recovering for their own homes and their belongings.

The heroes were the young men, hoping to attend the Naval Academy one day, who jumped in that jon boat and went door to door to help.

You were the people who were scared to death in the face of disaster, and yet you put on a brave face and you waded in, unabashed.

You were the people who lost everything, and your first thought was: I need to get back to help my community.

You heroes were the first responders who worked around the clock. Beaumont, alone, received 12,022 911 calls. Let that sink in. That's one city, 12,000 911 calls.

Well, we are going to have more meetings. We are going to be meeting with city officials, State officials. We will be meeting with Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, who, by the way, tomorrow is his birthday. We want to thank Mayor Sylvester Turner, County Judge Ed Emmett, County Judge Matt Sebesta, County Judge Mark Henry, all great heroes.

God bless our heroes. God bless Texas, our great Nation, and all of those who went beyond and above.

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

Mr. Speaker, I represent District 14, which, arguably, is ground zero for flooding. It is the first three coastal counties that start at Louisiana and come down the Texas coast: Jefferson County, Galveston County, and then the southern half of Brazoria County.

As I reflected, Mr. Speaker, about Harvey, I thought I would put some thoughts down on paper. It is staggering and incredible, when you think about it, and, unfortunately, our friends in Florida may be facing exactly the same thing. Of course, Hurricane Irma came up through the Caribbean wreaking havoc. Our prayers and thoughts go out to those families.

Over 60 deaths here alone.

FEMA applications, 650,000-plus already.

Shelters, there were 49,000 people staying in shelters in the three counties that I have just discussed. Secretary Price said in a briefing this morning they are down to around, I think it is, 13,000, 14,000, so that number has diminished.

Money spent by FEMA so far, last estimate, $200 million.

Untold thousands, hundreds of thousands of cases of water have been sent.

Hundreds of cities, communities, towns, neighborhoods affected.

Mr. Speaker, the annual average rainfall in that area on a yearly basis, of course, is 50 inches. Folks, we got 53 inches in 3 days.

Population on the southeast part of Texas, you could say, is about 6 to 7 million people that have been affected by this. In Louisiana, I am not sure: half a million people affected by the rain, over 100,000 houses flooded.

Fuel production down from the Gulf Coast energy capital of Texas is down by 20 percent.

Jobs that have gone on hold or either just gone.

Cars flooded, tens of thousands of cars flooded. People have no transportation.

Overall cost, you have seen the projections, over $150 billion--with a B, dollars.

Ports are shut down. The port of Houston was closed. Channels are sholed in. Sabine-Neches Waterway, Port of Freeport, all of them affected by this. I am told that when ports are shut down, economic trade stops--to the cost of over $1 billion a day.

HHS Secretary Dr. Tom Price said, on the Weather Channel, that four hospitals are closed; it had been 30. Thirteen dialysis centers closed, 26 nursing homes closed. He said that HHS had encountered some 5,000 patients during the storm, not all related to the storm.

I want to add that I watched some of our great doctors in Jefferson County--Dr. Garrett Peel, Dr. Ray Callas--go to work, Baptist Hospital, Christus Hospital, get in gear, and 500 tetanus vaccines were delivered because of the threat of disease.

Dr. Price went on to say that the CDC was making plans for mosquito control due to the Zika virus. They have extended pharmaceutical waivers for drug prescriptions to be allowed for longer than 30 days.

Dr. Price did note this morning that there were some 5,400 patients with electricity requirements for treatment alone, whether it is dialysis or some form, but that 20,000 patients were electrically dependent in some fashion, and HHS had provided that information to the various States.

Folks, the need is great. The need is great. To whom much is given, much is required. Never has there been a people in history given so much. This is one of those cases. This is one of those times where much is required.

Harvey brought on a downpour, but I will tell you that Texans and Americans and folks brought on an outpour, an outpouring like I had never seen. Our country has stepped up.

Our friends from Louisiana, the Cajun Navy, came over with over 100 boats and began to do things that amazed us. We called it ``Cajuneering.'' Unbelievable outpouring.

So, yes, I want to echo my colleague to the south, Blake Farenthold's plea: Please vote for this bill. It is time for us to step up. It is time for us to set politics aside. It is time for us to focus on the tragedy that is now called Harvey and may be soon to be called Irma.

So I urge my colleagues to vote for this rule.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of the Make America Secure Appropriations Act of 2018. I am particularly pleased to support language from H.R. 3266, which provides appropriations for energy programs within the Science, Space, and Technology Committee's jurisdiction.

For years, the Energy Subcommittee, which I chair, has listened to experts and gathered data to determine appropriate priorities for the DOE. The bill brought before the House floor reflects the findings of the committee. It funds basic and early-stage research, and it does so all the while reducing spending.

Importantly, this bill includes specific appropriations for programs authorized in my bill, the Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act, which establishes a clear timeline and parameters for DOE to complete a research reactor. This type of research requires access to fast neutrons currently only available in Russia.

The completion of our own research reactor is crucial, Mr. Chairman, in ensuring materials and nuclear fuels R&D takes place in these United States of America. The versatile neutron source, or fast test reactor, authorized in my legislation will provide the United States with this vital capability.

I want to thank Chairman Frelinghuysen for specifically including $35 million in funding, and Chairman Simpson, to begin the design and construction of vital research infrastructure in this appropriations bill.

America must maintain our nuclear capabilities and continue to develop cutting-edge technology here at home. This bill provides direction and robust funding for early-stage nuclear energy research. Without it, we will fall behind.

It is vital that we ensure this important research and development is fully funded. We cannot afford to miss the economic opportunities provided by next generation nuclear technology. I encourage my colleagues to support this pro-science, fiscally responsible legislation.

Mr. Speaker, earlier this year, the Brazoswood High School band was awarded one of the highest honors: the Sudler Flag of Honor by the John Philip Sousa Foundation.

The Sudler Flag of Honor is given to distinguished high school bands that have demonstrated particularly high standards of excellence in concert activities over a period of several years. There is a 7-year minimum process, with countless documents, recordings, letters of recommendation, and performances at not only the State but the local level as well.

Of the nearly 50 Sudler Flags that have been awarded since 1983, almost 30 of them have gone to Texas high school bands. The Brazoswood Buccaneer Band is the most recent addition to this prestigious group, and they are the only band to have been awarded the Sudler Flag in 2017.

My sincere congratulations to the students; the alumni; the band; Mr. Brian Casey, the band director; and the principal, Rita Pintavalle, on this outstanding achievement.

Mr. Speaker, I do rise today in support of H.R. 1430, and I appreciate the primer that we were just given from the other side on what an emergency is.

I would remind my good friend on the other side that, on November 8, 2016, the Americans stood up and said: We have an emergency. We need to change directions. And they elected Donald Trump to be President to do just that. So that is a good reminder.

Mr. Speaker, our constituents have a right to know whether or not EPA regulations are based on sound science and if they benefit the American people.

Keeping in the vein with what I just said, we have a better way. Speaker Paul Ryan has put out his plan for A Better Way. Donald Trump has been elected for that better way. The American people deserve a better way.

This is called the HONEST Act, which I am proud to be a cosponsor of. It is a better way. It is simple and straightforward. It is a message to government bureaucrats they cannot propose costly new regulations without providing sufficient transparency. As my good friend from Washington said: Why would anybody be opposed to transparency and a right for the American public to know?

Opponents of this bill apparently think Americans do not deserve to know the truth, not to mention the ``science'' behind EPA burdensome regulations.

Trust me when I say Americans deserve the truth from the very start.

Mr. Speaker, EPA's regulatory agenda should not require secret science, much less 30-year-old data, in order to sell it to the American people. The other side likes to claim that there are a lot of scientists behind this climate change theory, but they won't release that data.

So what are they hiding behind?

By the way, I remember Mark Twain said that sometimes the majority simply means that all the fools are on one side.

Mr. Speaker, it is long past time for Congress to increase the transparency of the EPA. This HONEST Act will do exactly that by prohibiting the EPA from proposing or finalizing regulations based upon data that is either outdated, it is not transparent, nor is it publicly available for review.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Smith for bringing this important legislation to the floor today, and I thank the fine gentleman from Washington State (Mr. Newhouse).

Madam Speaker, I rise with my Republican colleagues in support of H.J. Res. 43.

Under the Obama administration's last-minute rule change to title X funding, States like Texas are prevented from establishing criteria that would eliminate abortion providers from receiving title X grant money.

States have the right and responsibility to choose the health providers that best provide and serve the needs of their moms and their babies. During my time in the Texas Legislature, we used the Alternatives to Abortion program.

This program provides low-income pregnant women and their babies care items during pregnancy, and it also provides preventing information. It also funds the counseling referral and pregnancy information hotline and the Texas Pregnancy Care Network. Additionally, this program supports groups in maternity homes, provides referrals to community and social service programs like child care, and offers classes on life skills, budgeting, parenting--yes, parenting--stress management, and GED preparation.

Nationally, 13,000 federally qualified health centers and rural health centers provide comprehensive healthcare services to low-income moms and their babies.

In my district, the 14th Congressional District, over 30 clinics are committed to our community, including moms and their babies. These organizations do a terrific job of supporting women, and yes, their babies, too.

We are not cutting funding. We are not cutting care. We are ensuring that Federal health centers have the funds and the support they need to give the women and the babies the care that they deserve.

I want to thank the gentlewoman from Tennessee for her efforts to stand up for women and their babies.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 589, the Department of Energy Research and Innovation Act.

H.R. 589 provides policy direction to the Department of Energy on basic science research, nuclear energy R&D, research coordination and priorities, as well as important additional reforms to streamline national labs management.

I want to particularly highlight title IV, which is the Nuclear Energy Innovation Capabilities Act. I introduced the same legislation in the 114th and 115th Congress, and it does a lot of good things. It lays out a clear timeline and parameters for DOE to complete a research reactor, which is a crucial part for us.

Right now, we are behind, Mr. Speaker. The Russians are outpacing us on the next design of nuclear reactors. That is simply unacceptable.

We need a versatile neutron source, and title IV of this will produce a situation where we will have the ability for the national labs to partner with private industry and be able to do that so that they don't get built overseas, which is totally unacceptable.

Mr. Speaker, the Science, Space, and Technology Committee has spent a long time developing this. There is lots of bipartisan buy-in, I might add, and I appreciate that.

So it is time, Mr. Speaker, in my opinion, for us to get this bill passed and make sure that we remain on the cutting edge. It helps us with economics, and it helps us actually with nuclear proliferation as far as that goes.

So I encourage all of my colleagues to join in supporting H.R. 589.

I thank the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act.

It comes into my district, by the way. It comes into my district on the gulf coast of Texas. Over 6 years has passed since the permit was applied for. The iPad was not even introduced at that time. That is how long it has been. In contrast, this Congress is acting in less than 2 months to approve the most studied pipeline in the Nation's history. The President is creating jobs all right. It is called studying pipelines so you can deny the permit.

The State Department has concluded that this pipeline will be safe and environmentally sound. Indeed, that was the first amendment I got passed on the floor of this House in Lee Terry's bill--the State Department's own language.

The pipeline strengthens our relationship with an important ally, and it creates thousands of jobs for the American people.

The other side is saying some funny things:

They say that drilling and oil production is at a 29-year high. Great. Let's continue this process. Let's make it better. Let's make it longer. I didn't even think about that. You are right. Energy independence is right around the corner. You are onto something here, so let's continue that;

The other side says there is danger from oil spills. The truth is that the pipeline industry has a 99 percent safety rating. You cannot say that about trucking. You cannot say that about rail. You cannot say that about barge;

They say this is the umpteenth time the Republicans have passed this bill. On November 4, as I recall, the Americans elected some umpteen new Republicans. I think they are sending a message that they want energy independence, that they want a change. They understand that the Keystone pipeline means energy independence.

Yes, this House will pass this bill. We will send it to the President. A little over a year ago, the President said, if Congress wouldn't act, he had a phone and a pen, and he would. Now Congress is acting, and he is saying: I have got a pen, and I am going to veto.

Which way is it, Mr. President? You can't have it both ways.

Maybe, if the people on the other side of the aisle don't vote for this bill, we will get it passed, and the President will veto it. Then maybe Americans will elect some umpteen more Republicans.

It is time to move this bill and get it done.

Folks, the world is an inherently dangerous place. Watch the news.

Think with me for a minute. When the world has a catastrophe--and it doesn't matter whether it is a tsunami, an earthquake, whether it is fire, pestilence, whether it is war--when the world has a catastrophe and dials 911, who is it that answers?

It is America, isn't it? With our military.

It is America that answers that 911 call. Now, how do we do that?

It is because this country has the strongest, most stable, most reliable, affordable energy capacity and capability in the world.

America is able to produce goods. I often say the things that make America great are the things that America makes, and our fossil fuel energy supply is what underwrites that.

You don't think that's right?

And I would argue that not only is it America's security; when America is strong, the world is strong. You don't think fossil fuel energy is important, try powering a tank or a jet plane with a solar panel, Mr. Speaker. You won't get very far.

We must remain strong. As I said, for the world to be safe, America has got to be strong. This rule and this bill, H.R. 351, are important not only to America's economy but also our national security and, I would argue, by extension, with the world depending on us, international security.

Yes, we have a stable, long-lasting reliable source of energy here in America. We have the opportunity to export that to our friends around the globe and help them to be safe, help them to be productive.

We will produce American jobs in the process. We will improve our balance of trade, as my friend from Corpus Christi said earlier.

LNG is helping not only with the economy, Mr. Speaker, but with national and, by extension, international security.

I have three plants in my district. The permitting process needs to be expedited and move forward. That is why I rise today in support of the rule, in support of H.R. 351.

Two LNG facilities in my district and one more on the books. They mean jobs. They mean security.

I urge my colleagues to support this rule, to support this bill, put Americans to work, help America continue to be a leader, to be safe, and, indeed, help keep this world safe.

I thank the gentleman, the chairman of the Rules Committee.

Thank you. Great questions.

I didn't talk about the fact that I have five ports in my district on the Gulf Coast of Texas, more than any other Member of Congress. Some have four. I have five LNG plants, LPG plants.

Sixty percent of the Nation's jet fuel is produced in my district, 60 percent of the Nation's jet fuel. An extremely large amount, a classified amount of the military's fuel. They won't tell us how much, but a large amount of the military's fuel.

Strategic petroleum reserves abound in my district. Again, we can't find out how much, but it is a huge amount.

From a foreign affairs initiative--and I have been over to Japan, I have been over to the Philippines, I have been to Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan--they want our LNG. They would much rather buy it from us than from the Russian bear.

Don't you know the people in Ukraine would much rather be dependent on us because we are not a dictatorship, at least not supposed to be, and we are not going to cut off their fuel because we have a disagreement with the way the Russian separatists activate or believe?

So it is a foreign affairs, it is a foreign policy initiative. As I said earlier, it helps make the world safer. It helps create jobs over here. It helps with our balance of trade, or imbalance of trade. It is an important issue, and it is one that bears supporting.

Support the rule, support this bill because it is not only important for America from an energy perspective, from a security perspective, but an international or world trade perspective, as well as world security. For foreign policy, it matters.

I thank the gentleman from Texas.

I thank the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the rule and of the two underlying bills, one of which is H.R. 3, the Keystone XL Pipeline Act, which comes into my district.

I thank Congressman Cramer for introducing legislation approving this project and for the leadership in making it a priority at the beginning of this Congress.

It has been 2,302 days since the first permit application was filed for Keystone XL. Now, folks, that is before the Apple iPad was released 6 years ago. The State Department's exhaustive study of this project has led many to conclude that the Keystone XL is the most studied pipeline in history. It looks like the only job this has produced has been for those who are studying it. The Department has concluded that this pipeline will be safe and environmentally sound. Despite this favorable review, the administration has failed to make a decision on a project that will strengthen our relationship with an important ally and create American jobs--40,000, to use their number.

In addition to Canadian oil, this pipeline will also transport American oil from North Dakota and Montana. This will make our roads and communities safer as fewer trucks and fewer railcars will be needed to transport oil to energy-hungry communities all across our great country. The Keystone pipeline is supported by over 70 percent of the American people, and there is no further reason for any kind of delay for this project.

I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3.

Mr. Speaker, you may have heard about the revered Halls of Congress, but let me say that there is no more revered Hall of Congress than that of Ralph Hall. Let me tell you why that is.

Ralph Hall was a true Texan and a great American. He is a great example to us all.

As a true Texas gentleman, time and time again, I have seen him demonstrate the art of tact. He once described that art of tact as making someone feel at home when you wish they were.

As a true Texas gentleman, he could do that. As a true Texas gentleman, I saw him time and time again use the art of diplomacy. He explained to me: ``Randy, you know, diplomacy is being able to tell someone to go to Hades and make them happy to be on their way.'' Ralph had that gift.

Let me tell you, Ralph Hall--and I am going to list some descriptions of him alphabetically. He was American through and through. He was charming. He could turn that charm on. You have heard many of our speakers talk about that. He was committed. He was serious about what he did. Elegant. He was a picture of elegance. You could just see it in the way he moved and the way he worked. Funny. Gosh, he was so funny. The fact is I think he was cut out to be a comedian, but he was probably sewn together wrong. Gosh, he was funny at times. Gracious. A true Texas gentleman. A mentor to us, he could be stern when necessary. Strong. Did I mention Texas through and through? Witty. In short, Ralph was a great example.

Mr. Speaker, I end with this acronym. When I think of Ralph--R-A-L-P- H--I think of R, he was real, he was Republican. I think of A, he was American. I think of L, he was a leader. And then I think of P, Ralph was principled. And then I think of H, and he is a hero.

I will end with this--his last name Hall. H stands for hero, A stands for American, and both the Ls stand for the lasting legacy he is going to leave here in the Halls of Congress. When it comes to the Halls of Congress, there is none better than Ralph Hall.

Ralph, we love you, we bid you a great American and a great Texan farewell, but only temporarily. Don't be a stranger.

I thank the gentleman from Arizona.

Mr. Chairman, our constituents have a right to know whether EPA's regulations are based on sound science and do these regulations actually benefit the American public.

The Secret Science Reform Act, which I have cosponsored, is a simple and straightforward message to government bureaucrats that they cannot propose costly new regulations without the transparency that the American people deserve.

It makes you kind of wonder if the opponents of this legislation believe, like Mr. Gruber, that the American people are too stupid to understand the cost of the EPA overreaching regulations. Trust me when I say Americans are not stupid, and they deserve and demand the truth from the start.

When given a bad prognosis from their doctor, I wonder how many of the proponents of the bill would say they don't really care about the details or the data. That is interesting.

EPA's regulatory agenda should not be based on secret science and 30- year-old data in order to sell it to the American people. It is long past time that Congress increases the transparency of the EPA. This legislation will do exactly that by prohibiting the EPA from proposing or finalizing regulations based upon a science that is neither transparent nor available for review.

I want to thank Chairman Smith and Congressman Schweikert for bringing this important legislation to the floor today.

I thank the gentleman.

Mr. Speaker, it seems that some of the things that we are hearing from the opponents of the bill are that the committee is going to be stacked with people from industry, from the States. It is as if the people from industry can't be trusted, people from States can't be trusted.

Then we hear the theme that there was not a single Democratic vote to get this bill out. It almost sounds like the Affordable Care Act to me where people--recent revelations are one of the proponents has said that Americans were too stupid to understand, so that's why the Affordable Care Act had to be passed, and it couldn't have transparency because it would never have passed Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 1422. The Science Advisory Board, called the SAB--I guess we would say this is a ``sad SAB story''--was established by Congress to review the science behind the EPA's decisions and to advise Congress and the EPA on science and technical matters. Unfortunately, the SAB is no longer functioning as designed, without the impartiality and expertise needed to be an effective arbiter of EPA's use of science in its regulations.

Why no transparency, Mr. Speaker? That is what we have got to ask. The American public deserves transparency. These are taxpayer dollars we are talking about.

The membership of the SAB has excluded individuals from the State agencies and private sector. Again, I would remind us that these are the people who build communities and industries in neighborhoods, in cities, in towns, and in States.

Can you say 10th Amendment?

States have all the rights reserved. They are the building block. Communities, citizens, industry is the building block of this country. This is a country that has a government, not a government that has a country.

So, as the EPA continues its regulatory assault on America's economy, it is critically important that Congress act to improve the quality of EPA's use of science in its decisions. This bill, this legislation, will do just that. It will improve the quality of SAB's membership. It will increase public participation in its scientific reviews. It will allow for dissenting opinions among its members and limit the SAB's activities to questions of science, not policy.

And I want to say thank you to Congressman Stewart and Chairman Smith for bringing this important legislation to the floor today. It is very important that we get on top of this. The American people deserve transparency, they deserve a seat at the table, and they deserve nothing less.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, the things that make America great are the things that America makes.

Now, how do we do that?

We have a stable, reliable, affordable energy supply.

Mr. Speaker, I want you to think with me here for a second. We have to have a strong America. Whether it is a typhoon or whether it is a hurricane or whether it is famine or flood or pestilence or civil war-- no matter what it is--when the world has a catastrophe and they dial 911, who is it who answers?

It is the Americans--isn't it?--with our military, with our might, with our goodness, I would argue. So I would argue that, for the world to be a safer place, we must have a strong America.

How do we do that?

Like I said, a stable, reliable, affordable energy supply.

Mr. Speaker, this is not just about jobs and the economy. This is about a strong America that leads this world and makes the world a safer place to live in. I would further argue, Mr. Speaker, that you are seeing the result of an administration's policy. Around this world, we are seeing the results of people who understand that the current policy is weak, ineffective, and to be trampled upon.

It is bewildering to me and, quite frankly, to many Americans that the President and his administration continue to stand in the way of the potential that this country has to offer with respect to domestic energy production for the reasons I just stated. In fact, the President has canceled lease sales and has effectively closed off 85 percent of our offshore resources from exploration. Yet the majority of Americans support tapping these resources so that we can make our country more energy independent--and again, so the world is a safer place to be.

This country needs a President who will empower our energy sector, not suffocate it. I always say, as I did in my opening remarks, that the things that make America great are the things that America makes. Mr. Speaker, when more things are made in America, more Americans will make it in America. When government gets out of the way, we can create thousands of good-paying jobs and a whole lot of affordable, reliable, dependable, secure energy. Then and only then, when more things are made in America, more Americans will make it in America.

The energy sector, as the gentleman said, is one of our Nation's leading job creators, and much more can be done to unleash our energy in these United States. Just look at my home State of Texas. Texas has been responsible for close to half of all new jobs created in the United States since the end of the recession. Texas has allowed the energy industry to flourish while, at the same time, protecting the environment.

Shale gas development, which is booming because of innovations like hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling--despite this administration--is leading to billions in new investments in my district alone, billions in my District 14 on the gulf coast of Texas, for example. Chevron Phillips Chemical Company is investing $6 billion to build two polyethylene plants in Sweeny, Texas, bringing 400 new permanent jobs and 10,000 new construction jobs to my district alone. You all know polyethylene is used to produce common plastic products we use every day, and it is derived from natural gas. In addition to many other projects, two companies in my district are waiting to invest billions--with a ``b''--of dollars in liquefied natural gas export facilities, which would bring an untold number of new construction jobs to my State and the Nation.

It is a puzzle to me that this administration, instead of encouraging more of this kind of private investment nationwide, has decided that what we need now are more regulations. Are you kidding me? Just this past March, the administration announced that it is in the process of developing regulations on methane emissions from various sources, including from hydraulic fracturing sites. This is despite the fact that methane emissions have fallen by 11 percent since 1990. Such government overreach, which, undoubtedly, will also encompass emissions from cattle--if you can believe that--will raise costs for consumers, destroy jobs, and hurt energy production. This administration is so extreme it is proposing to regulate cow emissions. Now, in Texas, we call that a lot of bull. This Obama administration is out of touch with everyday Americans and is out of control with energy regulations. The administration's announcement on methane emissions is just one small piece of a much larger regulatory strategy.

Take the EPA, for example. The EPA is requesting millions of dollars to conduct a study of hydraulic fracturing, which is a technology that has been safely utilized by the oil and gas industry in Texas since at least 1947. In at least three cases, the EPA has blamed hydraulic fracturing on water contamination. In all three of those cases, they were forced to retract their conclusions. Therefore, I suspect the purpose of their study is only to justify further regulatory actions.

Most importantly, we cannot forget that the administration is planning to repropose a new rule on ozone this December. When originally proposed in 2010, this regulation was widely cited as the most expensive regulation in history, which would cost hundreds of billions of dollars and put over 80 percent of our Nation out of compliance--80 percent of our country in nonattainment when it comes to ozone regulations. Mr. Speaker, I would offer that the EPA needs to use common sense when it comes to the common sense of their nonattainment.

Unlike our counterparts in the Senate, the House has passed legislation to expand domestic energy production. It has acted to hold the Obama administration accountable for its regulatory agenda. On June 26, with my support, the House passed H.R. 4899, Lowering Gasoline Prices to Fuel an America that Works Act. If enacted, this legislation will require the administration to move forward on the new offshore

production that the gentleman was referring to in areas that are projected to contain the most oil and natural gas resources by requiring new lease sales and by streamlining permitting. I could go on and on and on.

I will tell you, Mr. Speaker, even though, when he was running, the President said he had an all-of-the-above energy strategy, the truth is it is none of the above. He is in the process of killing the coal industry. Make no mistake. Fossil fuels will be next.

Let me close by saying I call on the President, as the gentleman did, to permit the Keystone pipeline. Let it get built. Let America continue to be an energy leader in the world. Let America be solid and strong, and let us, once again, have a safe world.