[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 65 (Thursday, May 12, 2011)]
[House]
[Pages H3228-H3229]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    IMPLEMENTING SMART ENERGY PLANS

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Mississippi (Mr. Nunnelee) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. NUNNELEE. This morning, in Tupelo, Mississippi, Whiteside's 
Restaurant is quiet. The lights are turned off. Tables around which 
coffee and conversation had flowed freely, a place where I have enjoyed 
many great meals, is quiet this morning. And on the front door there's 
a sign that simply says, ``Due to the economy and Uncle Sam, 
Whiteside's is closed. Donna Whiteside said that the driving force in 
her closing her business was higher taxes, increased gas prices, and a 
sluggish economy. Higher gas prices have become a cruel tax on all 
Americans. Donna Whiteside saw it as her customers had shrinking 
disposable incomes because of higher gas prices. Donna Whiteside saw 
that the cost of her groceries were going up because of higher gas 
prices.
  What is not helping Americans get relief at the pump is the stalling 
of energy production by this administration. Since taking office, 
President Obama has actively delayed, blocked, and stalled American 
energy production--and the American people are sick of these stalling 
tactics. That's why the House of Representatives is concentrating on 
three key initiatives that will reverse the Obama administration's 
policies that are hurting families and small businesses, destroying 
jobs, and increasing our reliance on foreign oil.
  Last week, the House passed the Restarting American Offshore Leasing

[[Page H3229]]

Now Act. It will require the Secretary of the Interior to conduct oil 
and natural gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and offshore Virginia 
that have been delayed or canceled by this administration. In fact, if 
we don't have an oil lease this year, it will be the first time in my 
lifetime that the American public has not had that.
  Yesterday, the House voted on the Putting the Gulf of Mexico Back to 
Work Act. Since the drilling moratorium was officially lifted in 
October, the administration has chosen to drag their feet and stalled 
the permitting process in the gulf. Twelve rigs have already left the 
gulf for other regions, taking hundreds and even thousands of jobs with 
them. This steady decline in oil and natural gas production is costing 
the United States $4.7 million every day in lost revenues. This act 
speeds up the drilling permitting process and will put thousands of 
Americans back to work.
  Today, we'll vote on the Reversing President Obama's Offshore 
Moratorium Act. The administration's actions have placed the Atlantic 
coast, the Pacific coast, and areas of Alaska off limits. This Act will 
implement a smart drilling plan requiring the administration to move 
forward on American energy production in areas containing the most oil 
and natural gas resources.
  In north Mississippi, we're working at leading the way toward helping 
our Nation become energy secure. All three of these bills combined can 
create up to 1.2 million jobs that will generate revenue that our 
Nation needs, and it will put us on the path to achieving energy 
security, of more American oil, more natural gas, clean coal, nuclear 
energy, and new technologies such as wind and solar.

                              {time}  1050

  Donna Whiteside and the thousands of businesses and families around 
America need to know that the House of Representatives is listening to 
them. The House Republican American energy initiatives will free the 
American people from the Obama administration's stalling games. If the 
Senate will consider and pass this legislation, it will put an end to 
higher gas prices that are straining budgets and are compromising our 
energy security.

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