[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 91 (Thursday, June 23, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1188]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 JOBS AND ENERGY PERMITTING ACT OF 2011

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                         HON. CHRIS VAN HOLLEN

                              of maryland

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, June 22, 2011

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 2021) to 
     amend the Clean Air Act regarding air pollution from Outer 
     Continental Shelf activity:

  Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Madam Chair, I rise in strong opposition to the Jobs 
and Permitting Act.
  This legislation has nothing to do with lowering the price of 
gasoline--and even less to do with jobs. Instead, H.R. 2021 simply 
proposes to exempt significant offshore drilling activities from the 
Clean Air Act while eliminating or truncating appropriate permit 
review. Additionally, contrary to proponents' focus on Alaska, today's 
legislation threatens onshore air quality up and down the east and west 
coasts, including my home state of Maryland.
  Madam Chair, the current majority is somehow under the impression 
that you can't have jobs unless you have dirty air. The forty year 
history of the Clean Air Act proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that 
this simply isn't true. Rather than rolling back the clock on our 
environmental laws, we should be accelerating the deployment of clean 
energy technologies that will create jobs, grow our economy and make 
our nation more secure.

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