[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 167 (Thursday, November 21, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1727]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




            THE DEMOCRATIC MOTION TO RECOMMIT FOR H.R. 2728

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. HENRY A. WAXMAN

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                      Thursday, November 21, 2013

  Mr. WAXMAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my sincere 
disappointment that I was not available to vote in favor of the 
Democratic motion to recommit on H.R. 2728, the Protecting States' 
Rights to Promote American Energy Security Act. While I do not support 
the underlying legislation, I would have voted in favor of this motion 
to recommit in order to allow the Department of the Interior to require 
the public disclosure of chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing on 
public lands. The federal government has a responsibility to ensure 
that communities across the country have access to a baseline of 
information about the chemicals used in hydraulic fracturing fluids and 
any potential impacts on human health and the environment.
   Strong state and federal regulation, full transparency, and rigorous 
science are essential to ensuring that oil and gas drilling occurs 
safely and responsibly in the United States. The inclusion of the 
motion to recommit would have helped bring transparency to oil and gas 
drilling activities on public lands, and I deeply regret that it was 
not included in the bill.

                          ____________________