[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 10 (Thursday, January 18, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E147-E148]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          PERSONAL EXPLANATION

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. KEN CALVERT

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Thursday, January 18, 2007

  Mr. CALVERT. Madam Speaker, pursuant to my leave of absence, I am 
submitting for the Record how I would have voted if I had been present 
earlier today, in addition to comments that I request also be entered 
into the Record.
  Rollcall #34, ``yea''--Motion to Adjourn, rollcall #35, ``no''--
Ordering the Previous Question, and rollcall #36, ``no''--Agreeing to 
H. Res. 66.
  H. Res. 66 is a closed rule that prohibits any amendments to the bill 
from being considered by the House. Madam Speaker, on November 14, 2006 
you wrote in a Christian Science Monitor op-ed that ``Democrats pledge 
to make this the most honest, ethical, and open Congress in history.'' 
I am deeply disappointed that past pledges for an open Congress have 
been broken so quickly with H. Res. 66 and other closed rules imposed 
by the majority. I believe the People's House operates best when 
legislation moves through regular order and uses our Committee process 
where members from both sides of the aisle have an opportunity to work 
together to improve legislation. Under the new ``Closed-door 
Congress,'' the House has yet to consider a bill that was moved through 
regular order and considered by the Committee of jurisdiction. H. Res. 
66 establishes the rules for considering H.R. 6, and, as a senior 
member of the Natural Resources Committee, I have significant

[[Page E148]]

concerns about some of the provisions in H.R. 6. In particular, there 
are provisions addressing the 1998-99 Clinton Administration OCS leases 
that are ambiguous and may result in levies on all oil and natural gas 
lease holders in the Gulf of Mexico, not just the 1998-99 leaseholders. 
This and other poorly written provisions in H.R. 6 could have been 
corrected had the legislation been considered by the Natural Resources 
Committee or had the majority allowed amendments to be considered on 
the House floor. Unfortunately, the majority's ``Closed-door Congress'' 
chose to break its pledge of an ``open Congress'' and prevented these 
opportunities to improve the legislation.
  Rollcall #37, ``no''--On Consideration of H.R. 6, rollcall #38, 
``yes''--Motion to Recommit H.R. 6, rollcall #39, ``no''--Motion to 
Table the Appeal of the Ruling of the Chair, rollcall #40, ``no''--
Final Passage of H.R. 6.
  H.R. 6 represents the first vote for a tax increase in more than 13 
years. I have repeatedly pledged to oppose any and all efforts to 
increase the marginal income tax rates for individuals and businesses--
and I stand by my pledge. The majority has claimed that passage of H.R. 
6 will roll-back subsidies to the oil and natural gas industry that 
Congress passed in the Energy Policy Act of 2005. However, a 
Congressional Research Service report released in December of 2006 
concluded that, on balance, the bill imposes ``a net tax increase on 
the industry of nearly $300 million over 11 years.'' Further raising 
taxes on the oil and natural gas industry will do nothing to help lower 
the price of gasoline at the pump Americans are paying and, ultimately, 
increases our country's dependence on foreign sources of oil. Madam 
Speaker, I am truly stricken by the fact that the new majority has 
chosen to bring a bill to the House floor during its highly touted 
first ``100 Hours'' that will benefit and strengthen the hands of the 
likes of Hugo Chavez. I oppose H.R. 6 because it will result in job 
losses, increase the price of gasoline at the pump, increase the cost 
of heating homes, and increase dependence on foreign sources of oil. I 
support an energy policy that takes steps to truly reduce America's 
dependence on foreign sources of oil while our Nation continues to 
invest and improve the development of renewable sources of energy and 
energy efficiency.
  Rollcall #41, ``yes''--Adoption of H. Res. 62--Congratulating the 
Grand Valley State University Lakers''

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