[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 159 (2013), Part 7]
[House]
[Page 10357]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1410
     OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF TRANSBOUNDARY HYDROCARBON AGREEMENTS 
                           AUTHORIZATION ACT

  (Mr. CUELLAR asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. CUELLAR. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1613, the 
Outer Continental Shelf Transboundary Hydrocarbon Agreements 
Authorization Act.
  Over 3 years have passed since President Obama and then-President 
Calderon agreed on the need to finalize a transboundary hydrocarbon 
agreement which now needs to be approved by Congress. This agreement 
would establish a cooperative process for managing the Gulf of Mexico 
to promote joint utilization of transboundary reservoirs.
  The transboundary hydrocarbon agreement set to be enacted after 
decades of indecision between the Republic of Mexico and the United 
States allows oil and natural gas production on 1.5 million acres that 
was previously off limits because of border issues. The Mexican 
Legislature has already acted on this agreement, and we are now waiting 
on Congress to act.
  The transboundary agreement is good for the United States and is good 
for our relationship with the Republic of Mexico and is good for 
economic growth and good for environmental protection.
  This agreement would allow the American industry to work directly 
with PEMEX, instituting cutting-edge technologies.
  I ask Congress to approve this.

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