[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 175 (Thursday, December 3, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1704]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     NORTH AMERICAN ENERGY SECURITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE ACT OF 2015

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                            HON. GENE GREEN

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                      Wednesday, December 2, 2015

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the state of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 8) to 
     modernize energy infrastructure, build a 21st century energy 
     and manufacturing workforce, bolster America's energy 
     security and diplomacy, and promote energy efficiency and 
     government accountability, and for other purposes:

  Mr. GENE GREEN of Texas. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the crude 
oil export amendment.
  In the past 10 years, the United States has undergone an energy 
revolution.
  But due to our success in places like Texas, North Dakota and 
Colorado the price of oil has fallen from $100 per barrel to $40.
  Gasoline prices have fallen from almost $4 per gallon to less than 
$2.
  All of this has benefitted our economy and the consumer.
  I support crude oil exports.
  But I want to protect our domestic manufacturing jobs, including 
refining.
  We have the resource, we should use as much as possible here at home 
and sell what is left.
  The crude oil export ban has been in place since 1975.
  In the 1970s, the United States put the ban in place to protect our 
national interests.
  That's more than 40 years of legislative history.
  Before we do away with that history, we should make sure we have a 
policy that will make sense for the next 40 years and perhaps beyond.
  Crude oil is a valuable national resource and the government should 
have some oversight as to where and when we send crude overseas.
  I was hoping we could craft language that would create a process at 
the Bureau of Industry and Security, within the Department of Commerce, 
that would establish an authorization and reporting requirements for 
crude oil.
  We should have some basic requirements at the Department of Commerce 
to oversee crude.
  Unlike LNG, crude is a raw commodity and raw crude doesn't have value 
added.
  If exporting crude is the right policy, then let's do it correctly.
  Let's maximize the benefits for the United States.
  Let's make sure U.S. crude doesn't end up in the hands of North Korea 
or any of our other foes.
  The Department of Commerce has approved every application to export 
oil in the last five years.
  Now, I agree that the Department could approve permits more 
efficiently but that's something we can legislate.
  That's a ``fix'' I can support and believe would help our upstream 
producers.
  Unfortunately, we were unable to find that compromise.
  I do not want to oppose this language but without changes it is not 
in the best interest of our country.
  The time to address exports is now but we cannot just open the tap 
and hope for the best.
  I do not want the United States to become a resource nation.
  I look forward to working on this issue again and hope that a 
reasonable, commonsense approach can be reached.

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