Floor Statements

Mr. Speaker, it is my great pleasure to pay special tribute to an outstanding student from Ohio's Fifth Congressional District. I am pleased to announce that Jason Hug of Bryan, Ohio has accepted an offer of appointment to the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York.

Jason's offer of appointment poises him to attend the United States Military Academy this fall with the incoming Class of 2018. Attending one of our nation's military academies is an invaluable experience that offers a world-class education, while placing demands on those who undertake one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of their lives.

Jason brings an enormous amount of leadership, service, and dedication to the incoming Class of 2018. While attending Bryan High School in Bryan, Ohio, Jason was on the Honor Roll, was awarded numerous outstanding scholar athlete awards, a member of the National Honor Society, and maintained a 4.0 grade point average that placed him first in his class.

Throughout high school, Jason played football, basketball, baseball, and track and field, being voted captain of his football team his senior year. In addition, Jason was class president and volunteered at his church and other community events. I am confident that Jason will carry the lessons of his student and athletic leadership to the Military Academy.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Jason Hug on the acceptance of his appointment to the United States Military Academy. Our service academies offer the finest military training and education available. I am positive that Jason will excel during his career at the Military Academy, and I ask my colleagues to join me in extending their best wishes to him as he begins his service to the Nation.

Mr. Speaker, it is my great pleasure to pay special tribute to an outstanding student from Ohio's Fifth Congressional District. I am pleased to announce that Kameron Grubaugh of Convoy, Ohio has accepted an offer of appointment to the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York.

Kameron's offer of appointment poises him to attend the United States Military Academy this fall with the incoming Class of 2018. Attending one of our nation's military academies is an invaluable experience that offers a world-class education, while placing demands on those who undertake one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of their lives.

Kameron brings an enormous amount of leadership, service, and dedication to the incoming Class of 2018. While attending Crestview High School in Convoy, Ohio, Kameron was on the Honor/Merit Roll and was a member of the Red/Blue Club and National Honor Society.

Throughout high school, Kameron played soccer and football, earning a varsity letter in football and led the Ohio Extreme Soccer Club as team captain. In addition, Kameron was a member of the Model United Nations, Van Wert County Historical Society Junior Curator, and attended Buckeye Boys State. I am confident that Kameron will carry the lessons of his student and athletic leadership to the Military Academy.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Kameron Grubaugh on the acceptance of his appointment to the United States Military Academy. Our service academies offer the finest military training and education available. I am positive that Kameron will excel during his career at the Military Academy, and I ask my colleagues to join me in extending their best wishes to him as he begins his service to the Nation.

Mr. Speaker, it is my great pleasure to pay special tribute to an outstanding student from Ohio's Fifth Congressional District. I am pleased to announce that Thomas Heckman of Toledo, Ohio has been offered an appointment to the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Evan's offer of appointment poises him to attend the United States Air Force Academy this fall with the incoming Class of 2018. Attending one of our nation's military academies not only offers the opportunity to serve our country but also guarantees a world-class education, while placing demands on those who undertake one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of their lives.

Thomas brings an enormous amount of leadership, service, and dedication to the incoming Class of 2018. While attending E.L. Bowsher High School in Toledo, Ohio, Thomas was a member of the Spanish club, student council, yearbook, and National Honor Society.

Throughout high school, Thomas was a member of his school's soccer, cross country and track and field teams and earned varsity letters in all three sports. Thomas also volunteered with Safe-T-City all four years of high school. I am confident that Thomas will carry the lessons of his student and athletic leadership to the Air Force Academy.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Thomas Heckman on the offer of his appointment to the United States Air Force Academy. Our service academies offer the finest military training and education available. I am positive that Thomas will excel during his career at the Air Force Academy, and I ask my colleagues to join me in extending their best wishes to him as he begins his service to the Nation.

Mr. Speaker, it is my great pleasure to pay special tribute to an outstanding young man from Ohio's Fifth Congressional District. I am happy to announce

that Bryant Schlade of Napoleon, Ohio has been offered an appointment to attend the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.

Bryant's offer of appointment poises him to attend the United States Naval Academy this fall with the incoming Class of 2018. Attending one of our Nation's military academies is an invaluable experience that offers a world-class education while placing demands on those who undertake one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of their lives.

Bryant brings an enormous amount of leadership, service, and dedication to the incoming Class of 2018. While attending Napoleon High School, in Napoleon, Ohio, Bryant was on the Honor Roll and was a member of the National Honor Society.

Throughout high school, Bryant was a member of his school's football, basketball, and track and field teams and earned varsity letters in all three sports. In addition, Bryant served as captain of the football and basketball teams his senior year. He was class president, member of the student council, Spanish Club member, Envirothon, and volunteered his time as an usher at church. I am confident that Bryant will carry the lessons of his student and athletic leadership to the Naval Academy.

Mr. Speaker, I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Bryant Schlade on the acceptance of his appointment to the United States Naval Academy. Our service academies offer the finest military training and education available. I am positive that Bryant will excel during his career at the Naval Academy and I ask my colleagues to join me in extending their best wishes to him as he begins his service to the Nation.

Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentlelady for first hosting this Special Order tonight, and I appreciate you recognizing me to speak here tonight.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in defense of our First Amendment rights and in support of the millions of American jobs, livelihoods, and health care plans that are now in jeopardy as a result of the ObamaCare HHS mandate.

Tomorrow, the Supreme Court will be hearing oral arguments in both the Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties v. Sebelius cases challenging the constitutionality of the ObamaCare HHS mandate. I am hopeful that the court will recognize and acknowledge that the mandate unquestionably infringes upon Americans' rights of conscience and the freedom to live and work according to one's faith or religious beliefs.

This ObamaCare mandate wrongfully forces American citizens to choose between their conscience or face oppressive fines, as the gentlelady has already pointed out, that will undoubtedly destroy family-owned businesses across this great country. Equally alarming is that this mandate will drive employers to stop offering health insurance coverage to their employees altogether to escape the encroaching hand of government that is coercing individuals to violate their fundamental freedoms.

We have to remember this is occurring at a time when ObamaCare is cutting millions of jobs and forcing taxpayers from full-time jobs to part-time jobs. This is unacceptable and completely contrary to the tradition of our country and the principles of our democratic government.

My hope and the hope of millions of other Americans is that the Supreme Court will act to protect Americans from this government infringement and reassert the full scope and intent of the liberties conferred upon all citizens through the First Amendment.

I again thank the gentlelady for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I really appreciate the gentleman yielding. I rise today to discuss our country's energy future, and specifically the role of the Keystone XL pipeline.

I am going to reiterate a little bit what the leader of this Special Order has already stated.

Due to recently technological innovations, the United States is the number one producer of natural gas in the world today. That is hard to believe when you think about 20 years ago and what the naysayers were saying where we were going to be.

In oil production, we are set to pass Saudi Arabia by the year 2020. This is a long way from the gas lines of the 1970s, when there were restrictions at gas stations on how many gallons you could buy or on what days you could buy gas. I can remember going to gas stations and you had a number on the end, and they said this is the number we are taking today. If you didn't have it, you weren't buying gas. But today, that has changed. It has changed.

Today, we are on the cusp of a bright promising energy future where millions of jobs will be created because of it. We must ensure that the right policies are in place in order to realize our great energy potential. Again, that potential is there.

The Energy and Commerce Committee has heard testimony and passed numerous pieces of legislation aimed at ensuring that America is on the right path to energy prosperity. One of the quickest solutions is to build the Keystone XL pipeline. Thanks to Mr. Terry's leadership on the Keystone XL pipeline, we passed a bill to approve it. The expansion of the pipeline will bring additional jobs, income, and investment into the United States. The project will produce up to 42,000 manufacturing, construction, and indirect jobs.

In my home State of Ohio, the project is projected to bring 2,419 jobs by 2015. These jobs will offer high wages, strong benefits, and a resurgence of America's hardworking taxpayers. The project will also produce approximately $20 billion in economic activity from food, lodging, construction equipment, supplies, and investments during the project development.

In my home district, the Fifth District, I have visited companies that are going to be making equipment for drilling and parts for large machinery that will bring oil from the pipeline. Not too long ago, I was at one company that was very proud to tell me that they are going to be adding on to their company today because they are going to be making equipment that will be used in the pipeline in its construction.

There is also a company that makes parts for the large machinery that will be operating up in Canada. Those are jobs in northwest Ohio, and those are the jobs that we want to keep. These are permanent jobs for people looking for good employment.

In our committee hearings, we had one panel that was very interesting. At one end of the table we had a representative from TransCanada, and at the other end of the table we had an individual who was representing the trades, whose men and women will be actually building this pipeline. It was very hard for them to understand why we weren't going forward with this project today to put these people to work because these people are going to be working. They will make sure that they have roofs over their families' heads, food on the table, and will be saving money for their kids' education and putting money away for their own retirement.

This pipeline is going to bring about 830,000 barrels of oil into the United States every day. We have a great friend and neighbor to the north, Canada. For every $1 we send to Canada, we will get about 90 cents back. We send billions of dollars every year overseas for oil to some countries who aren't our greatest friends.

As we speak, due to the President's foot dragging, Canada is studying an eastern route across her southern border that would bypass the United States and send her oil to her eastern ports to ship that oil some place else. What is wrong with this picture? They want to send it south, not east. Talk to them.

Another point about the Keystone pipeline is that it is a $7 billion privately funded project. Once that oil would reach its destination in the United States, as Mr. Terry has already said, it will be refined into many products, putting Americans again to work.

The pipeline is expected to generate more than $585 million in State and local taxes in the States the pipeline passes. I was a county commissioner for 6 years, and I know what that means to be putting back into local government.

Approval of this energy project should not be controversial, but President Obama and his administration have made this commonsense, shovel-ready project a cornerstone of partisanship and needless delays. Two thousand days have passed since the Keystone XL pipeline application was filed. This pipeline has undergone more State and Federal assessment than any previous pipeline, and every assessment has come back to the same conclusion: that the pipeline will have minimal environmental impact. Further, the Keystone XL pipeline will be the most advanced pipeline in operation, using the most reliable materials and innovative technology. In fact, the pipeline will include 57 extra safety measures, which led the U.S. State Department to declare that the project would have a degree of safety over any other.

Another benefit: the Keystone XL will provide additional capacity to our current pipeline infrastructure.

Finally, again to point out what Mr. Terry has already said, that this is about our security, not just energy security, but our national security, because as Americans pick up their paper and look at the news in the evening and they see what is happening in Ukraine, people in Europe are fearful of what is going on because energy is being used as a weapon against them. We want to make sure that we are independent in this country. We want to make sure that Americans can go to bed every night and say we can take

care of ourselves, and we can take care of ourselves with oil from a country north of us who is one of our greatest friends and neighbors.

This project has the support of the American people, the United States House and Senate, and it is time for the President to put jobs, community investment, and energy security before politics and approve this pipeline.

I thank Mr. Terry for leading this very important energy Special Order tonight.

I appreciate the hard work that you have done on this legislation.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3675, the Federal Communications Commission Process Reform Act of 2013.

The communications industry represents a promising sector of our economy that has fostered widespread investment, innovation, job creation, and greater consumer choice. As the industry evolves and makes unprecedented technological advancements, the possibilities for future innovation and modernization are endless. As Members of Congress, we have to ensure that businesses and entrepreneurs are equipped with the opportunity and flexibility to continue making that sustained progress.

The FCC Process Reform Act would facilitate this effort.

This legislation would initiate much-needed regulatory reforms to the Federal Communications Commission and bring additional transparency and accountability to the agency. I applaud Chairman Walden for his efforts and leadership in developing this bipartisan piece of legislation, and I look forward to working with him and other members of the subcommittee as we work forward on this important piece of legislation.

Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer my amendment.

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

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of my amendment to H.R. 3826. This amendment would make a clarification to the bill to make explicit that ``demonstration projects'' refer to projects that have received Federal Government funding or assistance. This responds to comments raised when the bill was marked up that the definition of ``demonstration project'' could be construed to sweep in any project receiving government support, including local tax assistance.

This amendment helps clarify the bill and also highlights the provisions of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 which apply to the EPA's proposed standards for new plants. The Energy Policy Act expressly prohibits EPA from considering technologies at Federally funded projects under DOE's Clean Coal Power Initiative to be adequately demonstrated. The purpose of this is to prevent the premature mandating of technologies that are commercially viable.

EPA's determination that ``carbon capture and storage'' or CCS, technologies for new coal-fired power plants have been ``adequately demonstrated'' is not borne out in the real world. In the agency's proposed rule, the EPA cites four government-subsidized CCS power plant demonstration projects that are in various stages of planning development.

First, Southern Company's Kemper County, Mississippi, project is still under construction, subject to delays and cost overruns. In the company running the project's own words, this plant ``cannot be consistently replicated on a national level'' and ``should not serve as a primary basis for new emissions standards impacting all new coal- fired power plants.''

Next, Summit's Texas clean energy project is still in the planning stage. It does not yet have financing and has also been subject to multiple delays.

The third project, Hydrogen Energy California LLC's project, is still in the planning and permitting stages.

Lastly, SaskPower's Boundary Dam CCS project, a government funded, small 110-megawatt facility rebuild project in Canada is still under construction and reportedly $115 million over budget.

It seems very clear to the companies and institutions most involved with these CCS projects that they are not yet ready to be considered for commercial deployment. As one former Assistant Secretary for Fossil Energy in the Obama administration suggested, it is disingenuous for the EPA to say that CCS is ready.

It should be very clear to the American taxpayers that this administration is working day and night to eliminate the use of coal in this country. In places like my home State of Ohio, where 78 percent of our energy comes from coal, the result will be higher electric bills for our families and seniors already dealing with increased health care costs as a result of ObamaCare.

We should be pursuing energy policies that will lead to more energy that is less expensive for people, rather than less energy that is more expensive for our citizens. As we know, increased energy costs impact the most vulnerable citizens in our country.

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

Mr. Chairman, does the gentleman have anything further?

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

I thank the chairman for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, this is a very important issue not only to northwest Ohio, but to the entire Midwest, so I rise today in support of H.R. 4076, the Home Heating Emergency Assistance Through Transportation Act. This legislation will ensure the trucks carrying emergency supplies of propane can be delivered to communities most in need as fast as possible.

My constituents have been at the forefront of the shortage, as many rely on propane to heat their homes and maintain important farming operations. In the face of extreme winter weather, with prolonged periods of negative degree temperatures, access to heat is not a product of comfort, but is a requirement for survival.

Further frustrating is the resulting high prices that are putting pressure on already strained family budgets. While many supply companies are urging customers to take voluntary conservation measures, many families living in my district don't have the option of reducing home heat.

Last Friday when I did get home, I found this letter in my mailbox from a constituent I have known for my entire life. The letter was written by the wife explaining the situation. Her husband, who is almost 96 years old, needs to have their home warmer this winter since he is on a blood thinner.

During the last couple of weeks, they have kept their thermostat at 69 degrees. He has been fully dressed with a hat, gloves, bathrobe, and blankets while at their home. She explains in the letter that they have not had many pleasant days, but they have made it through it.

Another constituent is a young mother with children at home and one on the way. She cannot keep their home colder, even though it would help save on their next energy bill.

Finally, a small business owner who delivers propane to customers in northwest Ohio has been working day and night to find enough propane to ensure his customers can heat their homes.

In cases where he simply cannot provide enough propane, he has distributed plug-in electric heaters. These actions will keep them warm but will not help when they receive their next energy bill.

These are just a few examples of what is happening throughout the Midwest. The propane shortage has created a very serious crisis that is impacting the most vulnerable members of our society. H.R. 4076 is a step towards providing short-term relief to the communities, families, and small business owners most in need.

I thank the chairman for his leadership on this legislation, and I support the legislation.

Thank you very much. I appreciate the gentlelady for organizing this Special Order tonight.

The issue about the EPA and what it is doing back home and across our Nation is an issue that we all have to really pay attention to. I serve on the Energy and Commerce Committee, and we look at this all the time in our subcommittee. We have hearings continually. People back home always ask: What's going on, why is this happening, as the gentleman from Oklahoma just said.

My district is unique. I have 60,000 manufacturing jobs, and I also represent the largest number of farmers in the State of Ohio. When I am home, over the last 16 plus months I have probably done about 40 to 50 different meetings in my district visiting manufacturing plants, farmers, and small businesses. I also ask them: What is the issue that you are most concerned about? The number one issue I hear from them all the time on, the number one issue is regulations. Regulations are the number one thing that are holding back Americans from creating more jobs in this country. It is very important that I ask them: Well, who is it, what regulations? It is the EPA. That is the number one agency I hear about from my constituents all the time.

Earlier this session, I offered H.R. 724. H.R. 724 is a piece of legislation that received bipartisan support here in the House. Not only did it receive bipartisan support, it passed unanimously. What that bill does is it gets rid of a piece of regulation that is no longer necessary under the Clean Air Act.

There is a regulation on the books out there that requires small to large to medium auto dealers in this country that they would have to go out and give the buyer a piece of paper telling them that, yes, it met all the requirements. Well, it is no longer a piece of paper that needs to be given. It is something that should have been gotten rid of a long time ago because it is online, it is on the cars, it says right there that that car meets all the emission standards.

So what we need to do is just start paring back these types of regulations. That bill has gone over to the Senate. I hope our friends over there in the very near future take that up because, again, it is something that helps the communities. Again, when you talk about folks back home, the folks back home--it is like the auto dealers--they are the ones that sponsor Little League teams, they are the ones that are out there making sure that they are donating. So let's give them more time to do things like helping their community and, by the way, selling more cars, putting more people to work. That is very, very important.

Also, as the speaker from Oklahoma also mentioned, there is nobody out

there that doesn't say that we don't want clean air and clean water. We all want that, but in recent years the EPA has put forward broad- reaching regulatory proposals that are either unachievable or lack sufficient cost-benefit justifications. One of the most harmful proposals includes the greenhouse gas emission standards for new power plants that aim to stop the use of coal as an energy source.

We have all heard from folks tonight talking about how much coal is being used not only in their districts, but their States. In the State of Ohio, 78 percent of our electricity comes from coal-fired plants.

When you talk about what is going to happen if all these regulations go on, who is that going to affect?

It is going to affect the very vulnerable citizens in our districts. For the senior citizens out there on fixed incomes, it is going to increase the costs for them. They are going to have to make the choice about heating their homes or about refilling those lifesaving prescriptions that they might have to have.

So, when we look at the EPA and when it fails to consider what those real-life impacts are on all of these proposals that it is proposing out there; or the small business owner who struggles to make the payroll; or the newly hired employee facing the reduced hours; or, again, senior citizens who are on fixed incomes and trying to budget in these tough times, those are the things that have to be considered.

One of the things, I think, that was really staggering was that, in 2011, the SBA--the Small Business Administration--came out with a report stating that we have $1.7 trillion of regulations in this country today. Unfortunately, that got up to $1.8 trillion, and that is what we are dealing with in this country. People wonder why jobs aren't being created in this country. You just have to look at Washington. What are we doing to them here?

What we need to do, in my opinion, is invite the EPA to visit our districts. I have actually had some folks in my district say that they would be glad to have them come in to show the EPA. In one company, they had all of these different manuals and books and everything on the table that they showed me, and they said one thing--that they would love to have them come in because it doesn't even apply to their plants. That is what is going on. They are trying to take a round peg and drive it through a square hole. We have got to do that in order to help our hardworking American taxpayers meet these goals and to create more jobs, to help their families, and to help the future.

With that, I thank the gentlelady again for hosting this tonight.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 3590, the Sportsmen's Heritage And Recreational Enhancement Act, or SHARE Act.

I have introduced this legislation on behalf of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus, of which I am the cochairman with Congressman Bennie Thompson, whom I thank for his work. I also would like to thank Chairman Hastings for his support of the various bills contained in this sportsmen's package, as well as to thank Chairman Shuster and Chairman Upton. I would also like to thank all of my colleagues who have introduced the individual bills that make up this package legislation.

As a lifelong hunter and outdoorsman, issues relating to hunting and conservation are extremely important to me. This legislation includes various pro-sportsmen's and pro-sportswomen's items that will help ensure our outdoor traditions are protected and advanced. H.R. 3590 also addresses some of the most current concerns of America's hunters, recreational anglers, shooters, and trappers.

Title III of the bill is legislation I introduced related to public lands filming. This provision directs the Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of Agriculture, for any film crew of five persons or fewer, to require a permit and assess an annual fee of $200 for commercial filming activities or similar projects on Federal lands and waterways administered by the Secretary. This prohibits the Secretary, for persons holding such a permit, from assessing any additional fee for commercial filming activities and similar projects that occur in those areas during public hours.

I have also introduced the language contained in title VII, which permanently establishes the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council Advisory Committee. This council advises the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture on wildlife and habitat conservation, recreational hunting, and shooting. Authorization of the council is vital to ensuring that hunters maintain an advisory capacity role across future administrations. The passage of H.R. 3590 will not only elevate the stature of the council, it will also provide the levels of certainty and stability necessary to ensure the council's ability to engage in assisting the government in devising and implementing the innovative, long-term solutions that are often necessary to address policy issues important to sportsmen and sportswomen.

The passage of H.R. 3590 is important to our sportsmen and -women to allow open access to Federal lands, as well as to provide the needed certainty for the rules surrounding these activities. These hunters and anglers provide a tremendous economic benefit to our country. In 2011, they spent over $90 billion. In my home State of Ohio, sportsmen and sportswomen spent $2.85 billion on hunting and fishing. That is more than the revenues for corn, the State's top- grossing agriculture commodity that year.

H.R. 3590 is good for the sporting and conservation communities, and I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

I appreciate the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, first, there are a lot of smaller companies out there that don't have the large film crews and that don't have the large backups when it comes to funding in order to be able to do these types of activities. So I want to make sure that those individuals have that ability to be out there with a smaller fee so they can go ahead and make the films they want to make.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Again, what we have had has come to us from the discussions we had with the sporting community. Again, this is a product of multiple groups coming together. When we looked at the cost of the fee, et cetera, they thought it would be appropriate at this level of $200 for the annual fee, again, for these very small groups out there that want to go out and film.

That is one of the sections in the title that would permit that.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Again, when you look at mechanized vehicles, it can be anything from a very small ATV. You might not be talking about a truck, or something like that, but something very small.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to engage the chairman of the Appropriations Committee in a brief colloquy regarding funding for the Corps of Engineers.

I was pleased to see the criteria in the explanatory statement for the Energy and Water portion of the omnibus bill, which clearly states that there are additional funds available to support flood control studies, particularly those that lead to significant economic benefits by avoiding damages caused by flooding. Local communities often are left with economic development plans that may not move forward when these flood control projects face significant delays due to a lack of funding.

It appears that the committee intends that the Corps support flood control project studies that are nearing completion and have local funding available for match. Is that correct, and will the Corps consider economic impacts in its decisionmaking?

I yield to the chairman.

I thank the chairman, and I appreciate your willingness to address these problems.

I appreciate the gentleman from New Jersey for his leadership on this all important issue and for the time here today.

Mr. Speaker, next Wednesday, thousands from across the country, including hundreds of my constituents from northwest and west central Ohio who support the lives of the unborn, will gather in Washington, D.C., in recognition of the 41st anniversary of the Supreme Court's ROE v. WADE decision.

While the March for Life represents a somber occasion to reflect on the tens of millions of lives lost and the harm to women and families that has needlessly come about as the result of legalized abortion, it also represents an opportunity to strengthen our voices and renew our efforts in support for life across the country.

We must make certain that our fight does not end here with the march. We must continue to be daily engaged and vigilant in protecting and defending the right to life of unborn children and ensure that Federal policies that openly seek to threaten those rights or curb them through limitations or veiled assaults on the exercise of conscience rights are defeated. Let us not forget that the preamble to our Declaration of Independence proclaims that life is our first absolute right.

Thank you to the tens of thousands of Americans who spend their time and continue to dedicate their efforts to this vitally important cause. I am committed to fighting with you in defending the sanctity of life.

I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, I rise today in support of H.R. 2279 and specifically a section of the bill I sponsored referred to as the Federal Facility Accountability Act. This commonsense legislation updates CERCLA to ensure that Federal facilities are held to the same level of accountability as private facilities when it comes to cleaning up the release of hazardous substances. This legislation is supported by a number of State entities that have had numerous problems with Federal facilities skirting their CERCLA cleanup responsibilities.

As the Department of Environmental Conservation Contaminated Sites program in Alaska pointed out during one of our subcommittee hearings, a recurring problem is when Federal entities use sovereign immunity as a bar to limit or even refute State involvement and oversight of agency cleanups. In these instances, the Federal agency is acting as the responsible party and the regulator in which they get to determine which laws to apply, how safe the remedy needs to be, and they also pay the bill. Further, there is inconsistency in how some Federal agencies apply their CERCLA authority.

The Federal Facilities Accountability Act addresses these concerns and existing ambiguities by ensuring current and formerly owned Federal facilities will have to comply with the same State requirements as a private entity doing cleanup under CERCLA and specifically identifies the types of State procedural and substantive requirements that are applicable to the Federal Government.

Some of the most pressing environmental problems exist at current and former Federal facilities, and States have come a long way in developing strong regulatory programs to protect public health, safety, and the environment. It makes sense for Federal agencies to comply with these State environmental laws and to clean up contamination at Federal facilities to the same standards as everyone else.

With strong independent State enforcement authority, the environmental performance of Federal agencies will undoubtedly improve.

Mr. Chairman, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2279.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 724) to amend the Clean Air Act to remove the requirement for dealer certification of new light-duty motor vehicles.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials into the Record on the bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to be the lead sponsor of H.R. 724, along with my colleague, Congressman Gary Peters of Michigan. This bipartisan bill, which has 106 cosponsors, repeals an obsolete regulatory requirement that no longer

makes sense. This legislation is fully supported by the auto industry, and I have a letter that I would like to submit for the Record from the five leading automotive trade associations, including the National Automobile Dealers Association, highlighting their support.

Since 1981, automobile dealers who deliver a new vehicle for sale have been required to provide a certificate to the purchaser, indicating the vehicle conforms to Clean Air Act emissions requirements. However, modern technology and standard vehicle warranties have rendered this paperwork requirement unnecessary and redundant for a number of reasons.

First, every new vehicle must comply with Clean Air Act requirements before it can enter the stream of commerce. Second, information certifying a vehicle is Clean Air Act compliant can already be found in a number of other locations, including under the hood of a vehicle, in a vehicle's manual, or on the EPA's Web site. And, finally, many new sale warranties range from tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of miles or a number of years which far exceed the protections provided for in the regulatory requirement.

During recent years, we have seen an unprecedented amount of Federal regulation proposed and enacted. This bureaucratic creep not only threatens the scope of entrepreneurial freedom but also comes at a heavy cost which, by some estimations, is approximately $1.7 trillion annually. In my district, when I am out visiting with the small businesses community and hardworking American taxpayers, the number one concern I hear about is the burdensome regulations and the need to pare back Federal Government interference.

H.R. 724 is simple, direct, and sends a clear message that small business owners, and specifically auto dealers, should not be burdened with redundant regulatory requirements. This legislation will make the car-buying process a little simpler and let auto dealers spend less time complying with obsolete regulatory requirements and more time developing their businesses, investing in local communities, and creating jobs.

I look forward to continuing to find ways that reduce unnecessary red tape on the small business community. As H.R. 724 represents, this is not only a policy goal both sides of the aisle can agree on, but it is a policy goal that can actually get done. I urge support from my colleagues.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

American International Automobile Dealers, NADA, NAMAD, Auto Alliance,

and Global Automakers,

January 7, 2014.

Dear Representative: We, the undersigned automotive trade

associations, are writing regarding our strong support for

H.R. 724, a bipartisan bill that would repeal an outdated

paperwork mandate on franchised automobile dealers requiring

dealer certification of a new vehicle's emission system. This

legislation was introduced on February 14, 2013 by Reps. Bob

Latta (R-OH) and Gary Peters (D-MI) and currently has 105

bipartisan cosponsors. H.R. 724 was reported out of the House

Energy and Commerce Committee on December 11, 2013 by voice

vote. This bill is scheduled to be considered by the House of

Representatives on January 8, 2014.

For over 30 years, automobile dealers who sell a new

vehicle have been required to provide customers with a

certificate which states that the vehicle conforms to Clean

Air Act (CAA) emissions requirements. However, subsequently

passed laws and dealer contractual obligations have rendered

this statutory mandate redundant and obsolete.

Currently, every new vehicle must comply with CAA

requirements before entering the stream of commerce, making

it unnecessary for a dealer to also provide a customer with

written notification that the vehicle is CAA compliant. Next,

information can be found under the hood of the vehicle

certifying that the vehicle is CAA compliant, making another

form given by the dealer to the customer duplicative.

Finally, other information contained in the form is either no

longer relevant or can be found in the owner's manual and

supplements provided by the manufacturer.

H.R. 724 is narrowly drafted to eliminate this one

statutory mandate only. The bill does not amend or impact

other provisions of the Clean Air Act.

This legislation is an excellent example of Congress

working on a bipartisan basis to repeal an outdated law that

no longer benefits the public. We urge you to vote ``Yes'' on

H.R. 724 to end this unnecessary requirement. Thank you for

your consideration.

Sincerely,

Peter K. Welch,

President, National Automobile Dealers Association.

Mitch Bainwol,

President and CEO, Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers.

Damon Lester,

President, National Association of Minority Automobile

Dealers.

Cody Lusk,

President, American International Automobile Dealers

Association.

Michael J. Stanton,

President and CEO, Association of Global Automakers, Inc.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania.

I yield the gentleman an additional 1 minute.

Mr. Speaker, it appears that I, too, have no further requests for time on my side, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.