[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 159 (Wednesday, November 12, 1997)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2326]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


EXTENDING CERTAIN PROGRAMS UNDER THE ENERGY POLICY AND CONSERVATION ACT

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                               speech of

                           HON. HENRY J. HYDE

                              of illinois

                    in the house of representatives

                        Sunday, November 9, 1997

  Mr. HYDE. Mr. Speaker, I ask that this exchange of letters between me 
and Chairman Bliley be placed in the Record following debate on H.R. 
2472.

                                         House of Representatives,


                                        Committee on Commerce,

                                 Washington, DC, November 8, 1997.
     Hon. Henry J. Hyde,
     Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary, U.S. House of 
         Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Henry: Thank you for your letter regarding H.R. 2472, 
     a bill to extend provisions of the Energy Policy and 
     Conservation Act (EPCA) through September 1, 1998.
       EPCA is one of the legislative cornerstones of our national 
     energy security policy. Among other things, it authorizes the 
     operation and maintenance of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve 
     and provides limited immunity to American oil companies to 
     participate in activities pursuant to the International 
     Energy Agreement. In light of current actions in the Middle 
     East and the important activities authorized by this Act, 
     prompt passage of this EPCA extension is necessary.
       I appreciate your interest in H.R. 2472 and I acknowledge 
     that I will bring it to the House Floor in the form of a 
     simple extension through September 1, 1998 without any 
     substantive change to the antitrust provisions. I also 
     acknowledge that your action in allowing this legislation to 
     go forward does not affect any future rights of the Committee 
     on the Judiciary. Consistent with the Judiciary Committee's 
     jurisdiction over antitrust issues under Rule X and with the 
     Commerce Committee's jurisdiction over energy issues under 
     Rule X, I would be pleased to work with you to develop 
     legislation which ensures an effective national energy 
     security policy.
       In keeping with your request, I will place your letter and 
     this response in the record of the debate on H.R. 2472.
           Sincerely,
                                                       Tom Bliley,
                                                         Chairman.


     
                                                                    ____
                                         House of Representatives,


                                   Committee on the Judiciary,

                                 Washington, DC, November 8, 1997.
     Hon. Tom Bliley,
     Chairman, Committee on Commerce, U.S. House of 
         Representatives, Washington, DC.
       Dear Tom: I understand that today or tomorrow you intend to 
     move to suspend the rules and concur in the Senate amendment 
     to H.R. 2472 with an amendment.
       The version of H.R. 2472 you plan to bring up would extend 
     through September 1, 1998 certain provisions of the Energy 
     Policy and conservation Act, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 6201 et seq. 
     Under Rule X, the Committee on the Judiciary has jurisdiction 
     over provisions of the Act: the antitrust defense provided in 
     Section 252, 42 U.S.C. Sec. 6272, the participation of the 
     antitrust enforcement agencies in activities under that 
     section, and any amendment, extension, or expansion of these 
     provisions or any other antitrust immunity provided in the 
     Act.
       Because of the urgency of passing this important national 
     security legislation, I am willing to waive this Committee's 
     right to a sequential referral of H.R. 2472. I will allow 
     this legislation to go forward so long as it remains a simple 
     extension through September 1, 1998 without any substantive 
     change to the existing antitrust defense or the participation 
     of the antitrust agencies. However, my doing so does not 
     constitute any waiver of the Committee's jurisdiction over 
     these provisions and does not prejudice its rights in any 
     future legislation relating to these provisions or any other 
     antitrust immunity provided in the Act. I will, of course, 
     insist that Members of this Committee be named as conferees 
     on these provisions or any other antitrust immunity provided 
     in the Act should the bill go to conference.
       If the foregoing meets with your understanding of the 
     matter, I would appreciate your placing this letter and your 
     response in the record during the debate on H.R. 2472. Thank 
     you for your cooperation in this matter.
           Sincerely,
                                                    Henry J. Hyde,
                                                         Chairman.

     

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