Travis Childers

Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of the amendment I introduced with my friend and colleague from Louisiana, Mr. Melancon. The amendment would lift the moratorium on deepwater drilling for the responsible actors who meet strict safety requirements for their drilling operations. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill has been a tragedy for the Gulf Coast, one we can ill afford as our nation works toward economic recovery. However, in the state of Mississippi, thousands of workers are employed by the deepwater drilling industry. Because of the moratorium these hard-working Americans will struggle to make ends meet in an already difficult economic environment. The Gulf Coast, from Florida to Texas, is suffering from this disaster and in Mississippi we cannot afford to lose even more jobs due to this tragedy. The path to recovery from the Deepwater Horizon disaster will be long; we should not stand in the way of safe and responsible employers and the families they support.

I applaud the reorganization of the ethics plagued Minerals Management Service by the Department of the Interior in the underlying bill. It is my hope that the new regulatory structure will be an effective tool for ensuring safe drilling practices so that lives are not lost and moratoriums are not needed. Deepwater drilling is not only a source of American jobs but also an important source of domestic energy production in our fight for energy independence.

I ask my colleagues to join me today in supporting this amendment to save jobs and help the entire Gulf Coast region to recover.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of the Homebuyers Assistance and Improvement Act of 2010.

This bill is important for home buyers who have met the requirements of the first-time homebuyer tax credit program but who are now not able to close on their new homes due to circumstances which are out of their control.

With the passage of this act, over 1,500 home buyers in my great State of Mississippi will be able to take advantage of the Homebuyers Tax Credit program, making homes more affordable for families and individuals and creating much-needed jobs.

As a veteran realtor for over 30 years, I have seen firsthand the ups and downs associated with the housing market. Recent signs of recovery in the market are certainly encouraging, but we must follow through and sustain the progress linked to the initial benefits of the homebuyer tax credits.

I urge my colleagues to support this bill and to support the prospective homeowners in America.

I want to thank Chairman Skelton and the Armed Services Committee for bringing this important legislation to the floor and for allowing me to introduce this amendment.

The uncertainty of whether or not a company will be awarded a military contract, as well as the finite period of time required to fulfill a contract, means that many times contractors are stuck in a cycle of ramping up and ramping down employment and, consequently, hiring, laying off, and rehiring employees. My amendment addresses this issue in the production of the various types of MRAPs our soldiers use for transportation and protection from IEDs in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The First District of Mississippi calls itself home to Navistar Defense, which produces the MRAP. Last year, Navistar was forced to lay off hundreds of employees when one of its contracts ended. More recently, Navistar was awarded another contract, requiring them to rehire 800 employees in order to meet the production deadlines put in place by the military. But the majority of these employees will be laid off again in October when the contract is completed.

My amendment ensures that the Department of Defense begins to look at ways that we can meet our military needs while at the same time making contracting decisions that save taxpayer money and keep skilled workers employed for sustainable amounts of my time.

I urge my colleagues to pass this amendment.