[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 11]
[House]
[Pages 15219-15224]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




           MAKE OUR ENERGY MORE RELIABLE AND MORE AFFORDABLE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under the Speaker's announced policy of 
January 3, 2013, the gentleman from Nebraska (Mr. Terry) is recognized 
for 60 minutes as the designee of the majority leader.
  Mr. TERRY. Mr. Speaker, today the House passed a commonsense approach 
to make our energy more reliable and more affordable. Our vote today 
would create jobs and secures our energy future by making us dependent 
on North American resources, not OPEC, Venezuela, or others.
  I am proud to lead this effort in support of lower energy costs and 
more American jobs. With commonsense policies like these, we can make 
real progress toward reducing prices at the pump and protecting 
families from higher monthly electric bills. Lower energy costs also 
mean lower prices for groceries and other consumer goods; and by 
producing more American energy, we can create more American jobs. These 
are the issues that families struggle with at the kitchen table every 
night and keep you awake at night.
  But House Republicans have put forward a positive bipartisan solution 
to strengthen our energy policy that will allow us to begin fostering 
the development and use of our own energy resources. Today the House 
acted. We passed commonsense energy legislation that takes advantage of 
our abundant North American energy and puts our country on a path to 
better infrastructure.
  This approach is simple. It is a package of 13 bills the House has 
already passed on a bipartisan basis, including three of which were 
even voice-voted. They are not controversial.
  For instance, this bill includes the Natural Gas Pipeline Permitting 
Reform Act that would expedite and modernize the Federal review process 
for natural gas pipeline permits to help facilitate the construction of 
new pipeline infrastructure. This bill passed with 26 Democratic votes.
  It also includes H.R. 6, the Domestic Prosperity and Global Freedom 
Act, sponsored by my good friend Cory Gardner from Colorado. This would 
speed up the approval of liquid natural gas exports. We have an 
abundant supply of natural gas here in the United States, an abundance 
of which will allow other countries to become dependent upon us for 
their energy needs.
  Now, our Energy and Commerce Subcommittee, several of us on the 
Republican side went to North Dakota last year to visit the oilfields. 
We flew in at night. When you fly over western North Dakota at night, 
it looks like you are flying over a birthday cake with lots of candles. 
Those candles are flaring off natural gas because the price is so low 
and it is so plentiful that it just makes better economic sense to burn 
it off. So we need to find additional resources and uses for the 
natural gas. They are already there: exporting, transportation. We just 
need to focus more on those.
  Just today we heard in a joint meeting of Congress from the President 
of Ukraine. He talked about the security in his own country and the 
strong partnership with the United States. Can you imagine how much 
weaker Russia would be if Ukraine was more dependent or would use North 
American U.S. natural gas resources?
  Former Obama National Security Adviser General Jim Jones testified 
before the Senate that Vladimir Putin uses energy as a weapon. I 
believe that we would be using our energy resources as our weapon. And 
by expediting the permitting processes for liquified natural gas 
terminals, it would allow us to export natural gas to countries like 
Ukraine and our European partners and Japan.
  These policies to develop natural gas would further cement U.S. 
leadership in the world and grow our economy and create jobs here at 
home.
  Secondly, this package includes the Electricity Security and 
Affordability Act. That would protect an affordable and diverse 
electricity portfolio by providing reasonable alternatives to the EPA's 
greenhouse gas emissions rule. It would require the EPA to develop 
practical solutions for new coal-fired powerplants, including just 
saying that you can't implement a rule until the technology exists.
  Doesn't that make sense to have a rule that the technology can 
actually comply with instead of making a rule where there is no 
technology allowing you to comply with it? I wonder if there is another 
agenda behind that.
  Lastly, this bill includes H.R. 3, the Northern Route Approval Act, 
which would approve the permit for the Keystone XL pipeline.
  Tomorrow marks the sixth birthday or anniversary of the filing of 
that permit--6 years. We have liberated continents and put a man on the 
Moon in less time than it has taken to review this permit and approve 
it. It not only has strong bipartisan support in the House, it is one 
of the few issues that enjoys broad bipartisan coalition in the Senate 
as well.
  We can't get this done because the President lacks the leadership to 
make a decision. He would rather make a decision based on politics, 
continuing to delay the decision until after the next election. It is 
just now the third election.
  Consider these few things about the Keystone pipeline that come 
directly from this administration's environmental impact statement on 
the Keystone pipeline.
  It would create over 42,000 jobs directly related to the construction 
of the pipeline project and downstream jobs.
  During the construction of the pipeline, it would contribute $2 
billion in

[[Page 15220]]

wages to the economy in the United States--$2 billion.
  The administration acknowledged that by not building the Keystone 
pipeline, we had actually increased carbon emissions by 28 to 41 
percent.
  Many people come up to me and say, I don't get how it would reduce. 
The reality is, the alternative is, the pipeline that Canada is 
building to the east and to the west will then be exported. So that oil 
then is put on a ship, tanker, at least for the west it will be shipped 
directly to China. Maybe even the east coast pipeline will go down into 
the Panama Canal and over to the east.
  So when you use the energy taken to ship it to China and then refined 
in China with less pollution controls and emission controls in their 
refineries than we have in the United States, you will actually be 
increasing the CO2 carbon emissions.

                              {time}  1930

  Now, like every other piece of legislation in this package, this is 
stuck in the Senate and being held hostage by the majority leader. Time 
is of the essence before the clock runs out on this Congress. So this 
package of energy bills to grow our economy actually does Harry Reid a 
favor.
  Instead of having to schedule 13 different bills, Mr. Speaker, he 
only has to bring up one. We have nearly 400 bills that this House 
Chamber has sent to him that have not been acted upon. Let's make it 
easier, package them together, and if he passes ten of the bills like 
this then maybe we are making some real progress.
  The Senate floor wants the comprehensive package and to hold one vote 
to meet our national energy needs and grow our economy.
  Mr. Speaker, I ran to make our country energy independent, to have 
the level of security, national security, when you can be in control of 
your own economy and destiny. In my view, the cornerstone of a dynamic 
economy is your own energy and your own resources. You compare the 
countries that have the resources that they can control themselves and 
not be dependent on others and you see the strongest economies in the 
United States. This is the cornerstone. It creates jobs, it creates 
security. And I just don't understand why our majority leader--the 
majority leader in the Senate--won't bring these great bills to the 
Senate floor. In fact, I think he is scared they are going to pass, and 
they will. They have a great deal of support.
  So let's say ``yes'' to American energy, ``yes'' to more affordable 
energy in the United States.
  I would like to yield to the gentleman from Indiana to say a little 
bit more on how we secure America's energy.
  Mr. BUCSHON. Thank you for yielding, Congressman Terry.
  I rise today in support of American energy and the families that it 
supports.
  Mr. Speaker, American families are struggling. Many are living 
paycheck to paycheck as the price of everything continues to rise: a 
gallon of gas, a gallon of milk, electrical costs. And do you know who 
the rising electrical costs will affect the most? American's seniors on 
a fixed income and the poor.
  Here in the House we have solutions, like investing and expanding 
American energy production. It creates jobs on which families can 
depend and lowers costs at home and for businesses.
  Mr. Speaker, my father was a United Mine Worker in Illinois for over 
30 years. It was hard work, but it was a good-paying job and provided 
for our family, and we are proud of the work my dad did. It afforded me 
the opportunity to pursue an education and become the first person in 
my family to receive a 4-year college degree. I went on to medical 
school and became a surgeon. His job as a coal miner made the American 
Dream possible for me. This is what America is about.
  In my home State of Indiana, over 80 percent of our electricity comes 
from coal. My district is home to nine coal mines, every mine in the 
State, and they employ thousands of Hoosiers. Next door, in southern 
Illinois, more coal mines, which employ Hoosiers. Coal not only keeps 
the lights on in Indiana, but it puts food on the table for Hoosier 
families.
  I have been to several coal mines recently, went down in the coal 
mine--because I like going down in coal mines since I did it when I was 
a kid--and talked to the hardworking men and women who every day are 
working these jobs. And I keep hearing the same thing, Mr. Speaker: 
Washington regulations are crushing our business and I am afraid for my 
job, what that may mean to my family.
  The fact is that coal is being mined cleaner and safer than it ever 
has. Despite what this administration would have you believe, the coal 
industry has made great strides in protecting our environment while 
providing low energy costs for their consumers.
  But every time they invest their own money to improve their mines, 
this administration moves the goalpost. They do this without 
consideration of how many jobs they are eliminating in southwest 
Indiana and other coal-producing States. How this impact on the energy 
prices consumers pay has an effect on Indiana's families.
  In my district, two coal-fired power plants are closing because of 
this administration's energy policies.
  It is not just coal jobs that are being threatened. Indiana's 
manufacturing jobs are beginning to feel the impact of these harmful 
energy regulations. You see, manufacturing makes up around 28 percent 
of our gross State product. We are a huge manufacturing State; in fact, 
the highest percentage of gross State product in the country.
  Indiana also leads the Nation in manufacturing employment, and low-
cost energy is part of the reason.
  But the plants in my district are telling me they may not be able to 
survive when Washington continues to squeeze them more and more. How 
can Alcoa, with 3,000 jobs, stay open in my district if their energy 
costs double or triple?
  We can bring more manufacturing to the United States, Mr. Speaker, 
more jobs--which is what this is about--if we just get Washington, 
D.C., out of the way of American businesses.
  Yesterday, in a committee hearing, I asked the EPA to visit my 
district and, for that matter, other coal-producing States, to hear our 
story and listen to what my constituents have to say. While we wait for 
their response, the House is working.
  I am proud to have supported H.R. 2, the American Energy Solutions 
for Lower Costs and More American Jobs Act. This comprehensive package 
that has already been outlined by Congressman Terry included the best 
energy ideas that the House has produced this Congress. The most 
important piece of this legislation is it will ensure every American 
access to affordable, reliable energy.
  This legislation approves the Keystone pipeline, the most studied 
pipeline in history, which even the President's own State Department 
has determined will not negatively impact the environment.
  This project is critical to our future generations to address their 
future energy needs, but, unfortunately, this administration has been 
blocking his project for years for politics. While they turn their back 
on our Nation's energy needs, they have been implementing new 
regulations that have been costing our Nation billions of dollars. It 
just doesn't make sense.
  Part of H.R. 2 includes Representative Bill Cassidy's Energy 
Consumers Relief Act, which ensures congressional oversight of energy-
related rules costing more than $1 billion.
  This commonsense bill will allow Congress to have oversight of some 
of those billion dollar regulations that are crushing American 
consumers across the Nation and that probably won't meet our standards 
once they are looked at by Congress. They are just costing too much, 
with no benefit other than an ideological approach for the 
administration. We need to get back to science and common sense.
  H.R. 2 also included legislation that helps speed up the permitting 
process on Federal lands, protects our Nation's electrical grid, and 
protects coal mining jobs.
  Most of these bills had already passed the House and are sitting over 
in the Senate waiting for action. They are

[[Page 15221]]

waiting for a vote. In fact, they are waiting for a hearing, waiting 
for a debate amongst our Senators about the energy solutions the House 
has passed.
  I understand that the Senate at this point--or at least one party in 
the Senate--may not agree with these ideas, but let's have a discussion 
about it. Let's hear your ideas in the Senate to lower our Nation's 
energy costs. The House has spoken. This is what our constituents 
expect of us, Mr. Speaker, an honest, vigorous debate about the issues 
facing our Nation.
  Doing nothing is not an energy policy, and it is no way to legislate.
  I hope our friends across the Capitol and the President are watching 
and learning from the House's example.
  Mr. Speaker, finally, in closing, I want to say we need to tap our 
energy resources. We are on the verge of an energy renaissance in the 
United States, a manufacturing renaissance. What does this mean? Low-
cost energy, American jobs, putting families back to work. And that is 
what we all want, that is why we are here, that is why we ran for 
office, Mr. Speaker, to help people. It provides for lower costs. We 
are doing it in a cleaner way than we ever have.
  Mr. Speaker, let's not look right in the face of success in creating 
jobs and look the other way.
  I am hopeful that the Senate will take up some of the House-passed 
bills, including this one, before the end of the year. If not, Mr. 
Speaker, the next Congress in this House will act again to show the 
American people we want lower costs for their energy, we want good-
paying jobs, we want manufacturing in America, and we will act again 
and, hopefully, the Senate in the next Congress can see it to where 
they will step forward and act.
  Mr. TERRY. Thank you, Mr. Bucshon.
  You mentioned manufacturing and how important it is to your State. 
The reality is also that manufacturing is reliant on affordable and 
reliable energy.
  I am the chairman of the Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade 
Subcommittee under Energy and Commerce. We did a series of hearings, 
Mr. Speaker, on manufacturing in the United States. We had industries 
of all sorts testify in front of our committee. I left that series of 
hearings very optimistic about manufacturing in the United States, 
because what we are seeing is many manufacturers returning to the 
United States.
  There was one common theme to every one of the manufacturers that 
were moving to the United States or returning to the United States, and 
it was affordable and reliable energy. Many of them use natural gas, 
whether it is the steel industry that is having a resurgence right 
now--by the way, a beginning job in the steel industry--and, yes, they 
are looking for workers right now--$77,000.
  That is the middle class that is being hammered right now. We need to 
create those jobs, expand those jobs, but you need affordable and 
reliable energy.
  So what is this administration doing? They pass a rule on existing 
electrical generation plants, existing plants, not ones yet to be 
built, and they say you have to lower your emission rates to the level 
of using natural gas. So when we talk about Mr. Bucshon and Mrs. 
Brooks, who is going to come up here and talk about the impact on coal 
and jobs, that is the war on coal. They aren't using ``don't use 
coal''; they just put the number of emission particulates below what 
you can get if you use coal.
  But, now, here is what happens in a State like Nebraska. The State of 
Nebraska has older coal-fired plants, most of them are smaller, in our 
rural areas of Nebraska. They won't be able to afford to pay for all of 
the changes that have to occur to meet that. And, by the way, this rule 
is not even finalized yet, but when it becomes finalized these plants 
have until June 30, 2016. We are in September of 2014. That is less 
than 2 years that they have to prepare.
  That is why some of these rules are just so ridiculous and so obvious 
in how they are attacking our energy sector and making affordability 
and reliability a question mark.
  Now I would like to yield to the gentleman from South Carolina, Jeff 
Duncan.
  Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina. I want to thank the gentleman from 
Nebraska for his leadership on energy, and for having this opportunity 
to discuss with the American people the things you are talking about, 
the impact of the rules and regulations the Obama administration has 
put forward with coal-fired power plants.
  In my State of South Carolina, with the number of power plants that 
we have that are coal-fired generated, we will see rates go up. And, as 
you say, they have got until 2016. Well, the Obama administration will 
leave office in 2016, and that is when you are really going to see the 
impact of rates going up in States like South Carolina, Nebraska, and 
others that use coal. The Obama administration won't feel the impact 
and the pressure from the voters because they will no longer be in 
office.
  But let me tell you about a winning message, and that is jobs, 
energy, and the Founding Fathers, things we have talked about this week 
as we passed this energy package.
  Jobs. Let's unleash and unbridle that innovative and entrepreneurial 
spirit in America. Let Americans create jobs with the understanding 
that government creates jobs, but the government creates government 
jobs.

                              {time}  1945

  Americans create American jobs, and they do that through energy. 
Energy is a segue to job creation, and, if you dispute that fact, go to 
North Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas, or Louisiana. Look at the jobs that are 
created there. There are low unemployment rates, even negative 
unemployment rates, in North Dakota.
  It is an energy-driven economy. Jobs and energy. Energy is a segue to 
job creation. Our Founding Fathers unleashing that entrepreneurial 
spirit, understanding the American Dream, understanding limited 
government, free markets, and individual liberties.
  We do that by simple things like approving the Keystone pipeline to 
bring that friendly Canadian oil down to the refineries where we have 
capacity in this country, working with our best and largest trading 
partner to the North.
  It just makes sense as you approach American energy independence. If 
we as a Congress can't approach American energy independence, why not 
North American energy independence, working with the Canadians and also 
looking south to Mexico, which just did away with the nationalization 
of their energy sector, privatizing more and more of Pemex and the 
other energy resources, opening up the Transboundary Hydrocarbon 
Agreement area in the western gap? A million and a half acres are now 
open to production on the Mexican and U.S. sides of the western gap.
  In South Carolina, we want offshore energy production. I want to 
applaud the Palmetto Policy Forum for a study they just put out that 
shows the economic impact. When people think about energy jobs and 
offshore, they think about the guys in the hard hats and the oily 
uniforms turning the drill on the derrick.
  But guess what? It is all the jobs that are created onshore to 
support that effort offshore. Those are the pipefitters and the welders 
and the widgetmakers and the auto body mechanics and the supply vessels 
and the heating and air repair guys that go out to the rigs and repair 
the heating and air and the refrigeration and other things that are 
going on out there because it is a way of life.
  Those guys are onshore, at home, and they are eating at their local 
restaurants and tipping their waitresses and going to their churches 
and tithing. They are joining the United Way and the chamber of 
commerce and sponsoring those ball teams.
  It is a trickle down. The first domino that falls is for us to allow 
offshore drilling.
  The bill we passed this week does a lot. I want to applaud the Energy 
and Commerce Committee, but I also want to applaud Doc Hastings and the 
Natural Resources Committee.

[[Page 15222]]

  It increases offshore production, increases onshore production. It 
opens up that Federal land that is currently off the table for oil and 
gas production, but also wind, solar, and transmission lines and all 
the things that happen, that is now off the table on Federal land out 
West.
  Look at a map of the West. There are a lot of sunny areas out there 
in the desert; but guess what? You own it. Your taxpayer dollars set it 
aside. It is Federal lands, but it is off-limits. Even if you believe 
in solar and wind power, you can't have that on Federal land because it 
is off the table for that type of production as well.
  This prevents duplicative hydraulic fracturing regulations. Guess 
what? We have got an abundance of natural gas in this country, and we 
are finding more and more every day onshore. We can build LNG 
terminals.
  We heard a great speech from the President of Ukraine today. If we 
could export LNG from America to Ukraine, lessen Ukraine's dependence 
on Russian gas and also export the technology that we have for 
fracturing, they want that technology because they want to lessen their 
dependence on Russian gas.
  It is because of a word that he mentioned over and over today, Mr. 
Speaker, and that was ``freedom.'' Freedom. Freedom from Russian gas 
and that dependence. Europe wants it because they are dependent on 
Russian gas as well.
  Let's export the LNG, the gas that we are producing in abundance in 
this country, and let's help our allies in Europe and Ukraine.
  All that we do, all the bills that we talked about, we have had an 
absent Senate when it comes to energy independence, and we have had an 
absent White House when it comes to energy independence, other than 
supporting Solyndra and other green initiatives and wasting taxpayer 
dollars.
  We need real things that work. It takes 24/7 base load power in this 
country to make the engines of the economy work. 24/7. What does that 
mean? Base load power, what does that mean? That means when you flip 
the light switch and the lights come on; and, when the companies that 
are manufacturing products all over this great land cut those machines 
on, this power supply is available to turn the engines of the economy, 
producing American jobs, producing American manufacturing items.
  That happens with 24/7 base load power that comes from coal, natural 
gas, hydro, that comes from nuclear power, all of the things we should 
support while we continue to work on the necessary components for wind 
and solar to actually work, and that is the storage capacity because 
wind and solar is intermittent.
  The sun doesn't always shine, and the wind doesn't always blow, but I 
will tell you what works, and that is the proven technologies of oil 
and gas, nuclear, hydro, the things that we are talking about in the 
bills we passed today that actually work.
  Jobs, energy, and our Founding Fathers. Let's put Americans to work. 
Let's unleash that innovative and entrepreneurial spirit. Let's have an 
energy-driven economy, and we can do it.
  South Carolina wants to be a part of that. Nebraska is already a part 
of that. Indiana--I have talked with Indiana folks that are here. South 
Carolina wants to be a part of that as well.
  I thank the gentleman for his leadership on this.
  Mr. TERRY. Thank you. I appreciate that.
  I now yield to Mrs. Brooks from Indiana.
  Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Thank you to the gentleman from Nebraska for 
bringing together my colleagues, with tremendous energy--my colleagues 
who have the energy to talk about this package of bills that will 
encourage investment in our infrastructure, lower energy prices, and 
create good-paying jobs for millions of Americans.
  My home State of Indiana is especially well-positioned to take 
advantage of Chairman Upton's and what they are calling in Energy and 
Commerce the ``architecture of abundance'' that is embodied in the bill 
that we just voted on and passed.
  Last week, the commissioner of Indiana's Department of Environmental 
Management testified before the Energy and Commerce Committee that, in 
fact, 28,000 Hoosiers are employed in the coal industry and that our 
State sits on top of a 300-year supply of this abundant resource.
  By rolling back the disastrous proposed EPA regulations on coal-fired 
gas plants, this bill will save Hoosiers 32 percent on their electric 
rates and keep our businesses competitive.
  As the Nation's leading manufacturing State, Indiana heavily 
contributes to the oil and gas extraction business by producing the 
equipment that makes the energy renaissance possible.
  In fact, the industry already contributes $16.6 billion to the 
Hoosier economy, while supporting over 136,000 jobs. H.R. 2 will 
expedite LNG export applications and approve the Keystone pipeline, 
initiatives that we know would add billions of annual GDP to our 
economy and create tens of thousands of good-paying jobs.
  Make no mistake, I also fully understand the value that renewable 
resources play in our energy mix. My district alone is home to two 
ethanol plants, a wind farm, and a newly-opened solar plant.
  Renewables bolster Indiana's local economies while supporting 53,000 
Hoosier jobs. This is a massive growth sector in our State, and H.R. 2 
would continue to promote the development of alternative sources of 
energy for the benefit of our economy and the environment.
  The Congressman from Nebraska's bill makes pipelines more feasible; 
and, as the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service found, 
``pipelines provide safer, less expensive transportation than 
railroads'' that currently carry gas and oil.
  Pipelines mean fewer spills, less emissions from vehicles 
transporting fuel, and better access to natural gas which produces 30 
percent less emissions than petroleum.
  Republicans are committed to a responsible environmental policy that 
protects our children from pollutants and preserves our pristine 
wildlife for generations to come.
  However, American ingenuity and technological advancements have 
allowed U.S. energy-related carbon emissions to fall to their lowest 
levels in nearly two decades, showing we can tap into our vast natural 
resources while still being responsible stewards of our environment.
  Indiana Governor Mike Pence and 14 other Governors recently wrote to 
the President:

       The economic health of our Nation depends on accomplishing 
     a balanced energy and environmental policy.

  Madam Speaker, that is exactly what this bill does. I hope the 
President listens, and I applaud the gentleman from Nebraska for his 
leadership on this issue.
  Mr. TERRY. Thank you, Representative Brooks. You had mentioned 
something that we really haven't injected into this particular 
conversation, and that is the renewables.
  I am proud that our local power district has 30 percent of their 
energy produced by wind, a renewable source. I personally think that 
solar is going to be, over time, a significant part of a portfolio, but 
maybe not in the way that many people think because many people think 
of filling the desert with these solar panels.
  The reality is that technology today is to be integrated into 
buildings. Think of your office building's windows generating power. 
That is exciting technology that is in the research labs right now, so 
we need to include that.
  I am glad you brought it up because people listening may think that 
we only want fossil--but it is just that fossil fuels are under 
attack--and you need a diverse portfolio; otherwise, you really 
jeopardize your economy. If you are just only on oil and you only get 
it from overseas, you can see where you are in jeopardy.
  I just wanted to thank you for bringing that up.
  Mrs. BROOKS of Indiana. Thank you. And the diverse all-of-the-above 
energy policy, if we use renewables in addition to oil and gas, that 
creates even more jobs, and I applaud you for your effort

[[Page 15223]]

to always think about the environment as well.
  Mr. TERRY. Thank you.
  I want to yield to the gentleman from Georgia. I don't know if you 
are a Bulldog or not, but you are in Congress.
  I now yield to Rob Woodall, the gentleman from Georgia.
  Mr. WOODALL. I thank my friend from Nebraska. We are all Bulldogs in 
Georgia, even those folks who went to the trade school in downtown 
Atlanta known as Georgia Tech. We are Bulldogs at heart.
  I want to thank you for leading this hour tonight because, so often, 
when folks think about what we do here, they are thinking about 
Republican this, Democrat that, partisan this, partisan that. Folks get 
mired down in philosophical debates.
  What you have done here tonight is get into the core of what I think 
we all, as Americans, care about. We are talking about energy security. 
We are talking about an all-of-the-above energy strategy that lowers 
energy prices, puts more money in the pockets of every single family 
through lower prices, and creates job opportunities not just in your 
State or my State, but all across this country, and, Madam Speaker, 
that provides us with energy security.
  I grew up in the seventies. I remember the gas lines. I remember 
sitting outside. That was our great President from the State of Georgia 
that was presiding in those days, and I will never forget President 
Reagan's first inaugural address.
  He was talking about the challenges that we were facing as Americans. 
He was talking about the big dreams that it was going to take to 
overcome those challenges. He conceded that they were big dreams, but 
he said, ``Why shouldn't we dream those dreams?'' Because, after all, 
we are Americans, we are Americans.
  What my friend from Nebraska said about the oil exploration in Canada 
really struck me. We have this debate about whether or not we should 
build a pipeline to bring Canadian energy down into America to provide 
American jobs, American construction, American manufacturing, and there 
are those who say, ``Well, no, don't do it because it would be better 
if that oil stayed in the ground.''
  That is not a choice. That is not an option that is anywhere in this 
House or that is anywhere within our jurisdiction. The gentleman 
pointed out exactly the truth of the matter which is, if we don't do 
it, somebody else will. If we don't do it, somebody else will.
  There is not a nation on the planet that is going to burn that oil 
more responsibly than we will, and I love that about us. Madam Speaker, 
I love that about us, that no one will do it better than we will.
  This bill is H.R. 2. We reserve those numbers for the most important 
things that we do. I don't know if folks know that, Madam Speaker.
  Those top 10 numbers in the bill calendar are reserved for the 
biggest and best thing that we do, but, because people think this is 
such a partisan institution, they might think we save those numbers for 
the ``Republicans are the Greatest Act.'' They might think we save 
those numbers for the ``It's Our Way or the Highway Act.'' Nonsense. We 
save those numbers for the things that matter to everyone.
  My friend from Nebraska can correct me if I am wrong, but we have 
packaged together a collection of bills that have passed this House. We 
put them together in H.R. 2, and every single bill in that package 
passed with a bipartisan vote.
  Mr. TERRY. It is true.
  Mr. WOODALL. Madam Speaker, I want you to hear that. We had a chance 
here. Republicans run this show. If we wanted to just jam something 
through, we could, but, when we talk about energy independence, we are 
not talking about Republicans and Democrats. We are talking about 
Americans.

                              {time}  2000

  We are talking about every family in this country. And what the 
gentleman from Nebraska has done is put together those commonsense 
ideas that have been agreed upon by both sides of the aisle--bipartisan 
votes, every one--and said let's not let this year expire without doing 
those things that we can do, agreeing on those things on which we can 
agree.
  Mr. TERRY. May I interrupt you on that point because it is 
interesting.
  When I am back home--and maybe you get this--we get input from our 
constituents. And one of the most frequent ones is: Why don't you do 
the bills that you do agree on?
  In essence, that is what this bill does because we have had 30, 40, 
50 Democrats involved in the bills and voting for them; and so this is 
an amalgamation of bipartisan bills, but yet we had less Democratic 
support for today's bill than we did as individual bills, and I think 
maybe there is a little bit of politics being played.
  Mr. WOODALL. You may not know, Madam Speaker, but my friend from 
Nebraska is the author of the Northern Route Approval Act. It is one of 
those bills that passed here with a bipartisan majority, and it is in 
this package. It is in this underlying package.
  We talk about this as if it is an energy bill. Because it is H.R. 2, 
it is the energy bill. But that very same language that my friend has 
authored and led through this House of Representatives is included in 
the Study Committee package known as the JOBS bill, JOBS Act, that 
collection of bills that will put Americans back to work, that will 
grow the economy, that will do those things that are on the minds of 
every single American family.
  Too often we talk about energy issues as if they are separate from 
those issues; and what my friend knows and what he has been leading in 
this hour tonight, Madam Speaker, is that energy issues are jobs 
issues. Energy issues are family issues. Energy issues are issues to 
every single American citizen.
  Never before in my lifetime have I had the hope that we would get the 
hands that have been around the American neck by those who supply us 
with energy. We have that opportunity.
  I was listening to my friend from Indiana talk about coal. We are the 
Saudi Arabia of coal in America, the Saudi Arabia of coal. And the 
administration is trying to singlehandedly tie the hands of the energy 
industry not to exploit--and I mean ``exploit'' in the best possible 
sense of the word; I mean ``exploit'' in the utilize, in the harness, 
in the grow sense of the word--taking that off the table. That is not 
an environmental decision. That is a jobs decision, and we feel that in 
each and every one of our districts.
  Madam Speaker, there are a lot of ways to run this institution. You 
can run this institution with the iron fist that says ``my way or the 
highway,'' or you can run this institution with those commonsense ideas 
that speak to every single American family.
  Folks think this is an election year, I say to my friend from 
Nebraska, and they think that that brings out the worst in this body. 
What I want to say to you, under your leadership, these bills that we 
see here tonight, these bills that were packaged in H.R. 2, that most 
preeminent number in priority here at the House of Representatives, 
what you are leading is that language, that bill, that opportunity that 
puts America first and being a Republican or a Democrat way, way down 
the list.
  I think that is what folks are looking for. I think good policy is 
good politics. I think doing the right thing for the right reason is 
better than having the right commercial at the right time.
  It matters, and it matters to me that we have leaders like you who 
carry that message. I am grateful to you for leading the hour tonight. 
I am grateful to you for including me in it, and I am grateful to you 
for yielding me the time.
  Mr. TERRY. And I am grateful you stayed long enough to speak tonight. 
You did a great job, and I really appreciate all of the work and effort 
you do to secure America's future.
  In conclusion, Madam Speaker, energy, again, is the cornerstone of 
our economy. Sometimes we speak rather scientifically. We don't speak 
in the terms of how does it really affect me, not as a Member of 
Congress, but, you know, we represent 600,000 or 700,000

[[Page 15224]]

people in our districts. What we are trying to do is secure America's 
future. If we focus on energy, we secure it in so many different ways.
  I hear from my constituents that they are frustrated at the increase 
of food prices in the grocery store, the continuous up-and-down swings 
of gasoline at the pump. The costs per family for just transportation 
fuel has gone from 6 percent of their income to now 11.6 percent, just 
in the last 6 years. Those are the type of things that really make it 
more difficult for our families in our districts. So a solid, 
encompassing energy policy helps alleviate those cost frustrations of 
every family.
  Many people will say, You talk about affordability and reliability. 
What are you talking about? How does it actually make things more 
affordable? What is reliability?
  Well, if your electric bill is going to go up, if you have an 
existing powerplant that can't meet the new rule where the plans have 
to be submitted in June of 2016, so what they will have to do is either 
close that plant or invest, some are talking anywhere from 100 to $500 
million or more to comply to this rule. What do you think happens when 
that power district spends $500 million? They pass that on to the 
consumers. Your electric bills will go up.
  We met with our electric generators over the break, and they told me 
that some of these, they are just going to have to shut down these 
smaller powerplants.
  What happens to those communities? They can't invest $100 million or 
more into those, so they just close them down, go onto the market and 
bid for the energy that is out there.
  But when you have--and a new GAO report just came out recently, or 
some report, that they expect even more powerplants to close because of 
these rules. So when you have more communities and districts bidding 
against each other, the price is going to go up for that electricity as 
well.
  So you have kind of got it both ways. If you comply to the rule, you 
are going to raise costs. If you just close the powerplant, the rates 
are going to go up.
  What we are trying to do here is just figure out a pathway where we 
don't have to have this level of disruption and price increases by 
these rules. And what we are saying here is, come forward with a better 
rule that gives us more time and a bright pathway so that we don't make 
a financial impact to our families.
  So the bottom line here, Madam Speaker, is, if we secure our own 
energy future, our country will continue to be the greatest country in 
the world.
  I yield back the balance of my time.


                Announcement by the Speaker Pro Tempore

  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Walorski). The Chair will remind all 
persons in the gallery that they are here as guests of the House and 
that any manifestation of approval or disapproval of proceedings is in 
violation of the rules of the House.

                          ____________________