[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 178 (Wednesday, December 9, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1744-E1745]
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. BETTY McCOLLUM

                              of minnesota

                    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:

  Ms. McCOLLUM. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition of The North American 
Energy Security and Infrastructure Act (H.R. 8). This bill would 
reverse America's progress on energy efficiency and energy security. In 
a time when we need a forward-looking comprehensive energy policy that 
preserves the environment and provides sustainable energy to American 
consumers, we cannot afford to reverse course.
  The North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act would 
cripple ongoing efforts to curb energy use and promote energy 
efficiency. This bill removes the effective provisions of the Energy 
Independence and Security Act of 2007 which require federal buildings 
to reduce fossil fuel-generated energy. Additionally this bill would 
make it much harder for the Department of Energy to provide assistance 
for building code development at the national, state, and local level.
  Instead of making needed investments in our energy infrastructure, 
H.R. 8 continues to protect big oil and gas companies by attacking 
newer environmental standards and procedures. Section 1101 of this bill 
makes extremely hazardous changes to the Federal Energy Regulatory 
Commission natural gas pipeline permitting process undermining 
environmental protections and land owners' rights. This section would 
force FERC to decide on pipeline applications within 90 days even in 
cases of extremely complex proposed projects. Additionally, it would 
undermine land owners' rights by allowing oil and gas companies to use 
aerial or remote surveys for environmental data instead of actual 
surveying the land.
  As the Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on the 
Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, I am disappointed that 
H.R. 8 would make it easier for oil and gas companies to get approval 
for pipelines through our nation's most treasured areas, our national 
parks. It also threatens protections in the Endangered Species Act, the 
Clean Water Act, and the Federal Power Act by allowing the Federal 
Energy Regulatory Commission to override conditions placed on 
hydropower project licenses by state and federal agencies that serve to 
protect wildlife from the potential impacts.
  President Obama has stated that he will veto this legislation should 
it come to his desk because H.R. 8 sidesteps important environmental 
procedures and actually increases energy consumption and consumer 
costs. According to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient 
Economy, H.R. 8 would actually cost American citizens nearly $20 
billion dollars through 2040. Instead of this misguided legislation, I 
support President Obama's ``All-of-the-Above'' energy strategy for our 
country which includes a combination of fossil fuels, renewable energy, 
and energy efficiency.
  I am committed to advancing America's energy policy by moving away 
from depending on fossil fuels and towards clean and renewable sources 
of energy. For these reasons, I will vote against the backward path of 
H.R. 8, The North American Energy Security and Infrastructure Act.

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