[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 154 (2008), Part 17]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 24041-24042]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          PERSONAL EXPLANATION

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. KEVIN BRADY

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 3, 2008

  Mr. BRADY of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today in order to state for 
the record an explanation of my absence and how I would have voted on 
several of the bills that were considered by the House of 
Representatives while I was in Texas helping the relief and recovery 
effort after Hurricane Ike damaged my district and communities so hard.
  As my colleagues and those in the gallery know, Hurricane Ike made 
landfall along the Upper Texas Coast early in the morning of Saturday, 
September 13. The effects of this storm stretched from Alabama to 
Texas, with the 11 counties that I represent landing right in the 
middle of the storm's path. The resulting damage was widespread and in 
some cases very significant. Many of the people that I represent are 
still without power and for many, especially in Orange County, life 
will never be the same. Their homes were completely flooded and many 
will never be livable again. It is a testament to the hardworking and 
self-reliant people of southeast Texas that they are already picking up 
the pieces and helping themselves and others in the recovery. I want to 
thank those first responders, the local governments, the State of 
Texas, and selfless individuals that have helped during the evacuation 
and recovery process.
  We have worked tirelessly since Hurricane Rita to ensure that Texas' 
first responders were better prepared for the next time a hurricane hit 
the Texas coast. I have spent my time since September 13, meeting with 
individual citizens, FEMA, officials from Texas and local communities, 
utility providers and others to identify shortcomings, offer help and 
support, and ensure the best level of service is provided now and the 
next time a hurricane strikes Texas or we are affected by some other 
emergency situation.
  While I was working in Texas after Ike made landfall, the House voted 
on several important pieces of legislation for which I would like to 
register my views.
  First, H.R. 6899, the Comprehensive American Energy Security and 
Consumer Protection Act; despite the bill's name, H.R. 6899 would 
actually harm our nation's energy security, and accordingly, I would 
have voted against passage of the bill.
  This bill opens a sliver of our offshore resources to development, 
while permanently

[[Page 24042]]

closing off the rest. In fact, the Department of Interior's Mineral and 
Management Service calculated that this bill would ban most of our 
nation's outer continental shelf oil and gas natural resources from 
development. This bill is the equivalent of cracking open the gate, 
bolting the front door shut and then throwing away the key. It is the 
wrong energy policy for our country.
  Moreover, in addition to this bait-and-switch approach to the 
offshore moratorium on energy exploration, the bill neglects to provide 
for revenue sharing among the states for offshore leasing. Without a 
revenue sharing incentive from the federal government, states are 
highly unlikely to allow the drilling that our country desperately 
needs. This is not the energy solution the American people want, and 
Congress should not replace the current temporary ban on offshore 
exploration with a permanent one.
  House Democrats also offered another gimmick on energy policy instead 
of providing real relief at the pump to my constituents recovering from 
Hurricane Ike and all Americans. H.R. 6604 was billed as a way to cut 
speculation in energy markets, while in reality it did nothing but 
paper over Democrat's inaction on offering real solutions to America's 
energy problems. I voted against largely the same bill this summer and 
would have done so here as well. This bill was nothing more than window 
dressing and a thinly veiled attempt to placate the American public. In 
reality, it does little more than insult the intelligence of the 
American public; but the American public won't be fooled.
  But Democrats are starting to buckle to pressure from the American 
public. In the House-passed stop-gap funding bill, the House lifted the 
moratorium on off-shore oil exploration and oil shale production. If 
the moratorium is lifted in the Senate as well, America will be one 
step closer to energy relief.
  Lastly, the House passed legislation last week to uphold the landmark 
Supreme Court's decision in DC v. Heller. DC v. Heller upheld the 2nd 
Amendment rights of residents of Washington, DC that had been trampled 
on for over 30 years. I would have proudly supported the Childers 
amendment to H.R. 6691 and supported the amended bill on final passage. 
As a matter of fact I am a co-sponsor of legislation very similar to 
the Childers Amendment, H.R. 1399, the District of Columbia Personal 
Protection Act. I am glad to see that the House has taken a bi-partisan 
step to protect the Constitutional right to keep and bear arms.
  I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the 
aisle to continue providing relief to those suffering from Hurricane 
Ike and I appreciate the speed with which this Congress has acted to 
help provide that relief thus far. However, just as we learned after 
Hurricane Rita, this process will be on going and it will take the 
continued effort of Congress, Texas, local communities and individual 
citizens to complete the recovery effort. I ask that all Americans 
continue to offer their thoughts and prayers to those along the gulf 
coast.

                          ____________________