Jeff Duncan

Mr. DUNCAN

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Chair, I applaud leadership for allowing this bill to go through regular order. It went through three committees, 21 bills, hearings, markups, amendments offered, and here we are today. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce), who is from a huge area of Marcellus shale, producing so much natural gas for our Nation.

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from California (Mr. Obernolte), a new member of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Balderson), who is a new member on the Energy and Commerce Committee, and whose State has the Marcellus shale. They are a big producer in oil, coal, hydro, nuclear, and a lot of other things.

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Chair, I am glad to have the author of the bill on the floor, Mr. Scalise. Mr. Chair, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from West Virginia (Mrs. Miller), my guardian angel.

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 1 minute to the gentlewoman from West Virginia.

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Chair, I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentlewoman from West Virginia.

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Chairman, may I inquire how much time is remaining.

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Chair, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Utah (Mr. Curtis), the vice chairman of the Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee.

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Bilirakis), who is a Florida Gator.

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Chairman, we should fix the grid and harden it from the EMP threats and other things, but while we are doing that, we need the pipeline infrastructure to get the resources to where they need to go, and that is in our communities so that baseload generation can happen. Mr. Chairman, there is a gentleman from Ohio who understands energy. He is the chairman of the Environment, Manufacturing, and Critical Materials Subcommittee on the Energy and Commerce Committee. Mr. Chairman, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Johnson).

Mr. DUNCAN

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to applaud the commitment of the United States Forest Service to see through the protection of the Bering River coalfield in Alaska. According to the Forest Service, the Copper River watershed, in which the Bering River lies, is one of the largest and most biologically intact places on Earth. Mineral rights to the Bering River coalfield are currently owned by a Korean company, which means almost 12,000 acres of coalfields in the Copper River watershed remain vulnerable to mining. Coal from the Bering River has no value in the U.S. coal market. We have plenty in the lower 48. An extraction would only serve to benefit the Asian markets at the cost of decimating one of the few untouched places left in America. The current owner of the mineral rights expressed that they are willing to sell the rights, and the bid for appraisal opened last week. It is my hope that we are approaching the finish line of the conservation of the Bering River, an effort that has been ongoing for 100 years. Forty-six conservation organizations have voiced their support for the protection of this invaluable natural resource. If a purchase of the Bering River coalfield is successful, all future generations of American sportsmen and -women and outdoor recreationists can experience the magnificent wild country the way it emerged from our creator. I will take a brief moment to thank the late Representative Don Young from Alaska for his help and support of this issue to get it to this point. I also thank the Exxon Valdez trust for extending a boundary so that money could be leveraged to help set aside for future generations this important national asset.

Mr. DUNCAN

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, at 5:19 this afternoon, I became a grandfather. My middle son, J.P. Duncan, had our first grandchild, John Waylon, J.W. Duncan, 8 pounds, 4 ounces, and you can tell this Congressman is excited.

Mr. DUNCAN

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the leadership of Dr. Evans P. Whitaker, President of Anderson University, as well as his wife, Mrs. Diane Whitaker, In 2002, Dr. Whitaker assumed the presidency of Anderson University in Anderson, South Carolina, and in just 2 decades, the university's student population has more than doubled. Anderson College was chartered more than a century ago in 1911 and was one of the first institutions of higher learning for women in the United States. In 2006, it officially became Anderson University under Dr. Whitaker. In under 20 years with Dr. Whitaker at the helm, Anderson University has grown from barely 1,600 students to roughly 4,200 students, making it South Carolina's largest private university and the 16th fastest- growing regional university in the last decade. Under Dr. Whitaker's visionary leadership, he has ushered the university into its modern era and established a legacy of accomplishments, including increasing the campus size from 68 acres to 400 acres and bringing the university's academics to the next level. He has also seen the university launch 26 graduate programs, establish the South Carolina School of the Arts, begin the Undergraduate Center for Cancer Research, be recognized by the Chronicle of Higher Education as a Great College to Work For, and experience more than $100 million in capital improvement, including a new library, student center, athletic facilities, and 2 new academic buildings. Dr. Whitaker is also a leader in the Anderson community, South Carolina, and beyond, and holds various leadership positions on the community, state, and national levels. Congratulations to Dr. Whitaker and his wife, Diane (and her commitment to baking her famous chocolate chip cookies for every student), for 20 years at AU and for helping shape the university into a premier Christian university and among the best regional universities in the South. The university has remained committed to preparing students with the knowledge they need to be successful in their careers, and more importantly, to thrive in all areas of life, including family, community, and faith. AU is truly an Academically Excellent, Faith-filled, Hospitable, Purpose-driven place that provides students with a rigorous educational experience, grounded in faith and innovation. I am proud to represent Anderson University in Congress and am excited to see the university continue to grow and instill in students ``Knowledge for your Journey'' in an intentionally Christian environment. God Bless Anderson University and Go Trojans.

Mr. DUNCAN

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of my legislation to end Joe Biden's COVID-19 vaccine mandate for our Nation's healthcare workers. We have had a lot of debate and conversation, and we have learned a lot about COVID since 2020. I am proud to continue our work from last Congress to end this mandate, and I will not stop leading the charge until this requirement is lifted. No American should be forced to choose between receiving a COVID shot or losing their livelihood. But CMS uses the purse strings of forced policies on healthcare systems. I have serious concerns regarding the practicality, efficacy, and morality of a vaccine mandate for healthcare providers. The CMS mandate is one of the strictest mandates the Biden administration has implemented. With few permissible exceptions for healthcare workers, this mandate has only created resentment and distrust toward the government and loss of jobs, nursing jobs, CNA jobs, often replaced with traveling nurses being paid a higher rate, a higher cost for the taxpayers and the hospitals. Joe Biden's draconian vaccine mandate is unscientific, un-American, and is deeply damaging to healthcare workers as we already face a nationwide shortage. CMS's one-size-fits-all vaccine mandate exacerbates the ongoing staffing shortage by limiting the ability of healthcare providers to make important accommodations and set standards for their employees based on their staffing needs. No American should stand for this type of authoritarianism that is a detriment to our healthcare system. Last night, the Biden administration threatened to veto this legislation. The administration went on and on about protecting individuals from COVID-19, but there was no mention that the COVID-19 vaccine prevents transmission. That is because the CDC has confirmed that the shot does not prevent transmission. Let's follow the science here and allow individuals to make choices for themselves. I encourage my colleagues to support my legislation, the Freedom for Health Care Workers Act, and give medical freedom back to our Nation's healthcare workers and let them get back to work.

Mr. DUNCAN

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment.

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Chair, this amendment will prohibit the leasing plan from including a whole new swath of Federal lands. This is a solution in search of a problem because many of these areas are already protected. I went through the list. I don't see any that aren't. Under existing law, many of these places aren't open for oil and gas leasing. Nothing in H.R. 21 would change that fact. President Biden campaigned on a platform to end fossil fuels, and on day one of his administration, he imposed a moratorium on energy production on Federal lands. The Biden administration has leased fewer acres than any other administration dating all the way back to World War II. H.R. 21 will reverse the dangerous precedent set by President Biden and his administration and unlock the natural resources owned by the American people for the benefit of all. The SPR shouldn't be used for political purposes. Drawing down to influence gas prices is wrong when the SPR is set aside for national emergencies, a time of war. It is a strategic asset for the American people, not to be used to influence elections. This amendment will increase gas prices and weaken our energy security by reimposing the Biden administration's leasing moratorium. It is wrong. It is messaging. I get it. You are okay with releasing gas and oil out of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to influence gas prices, weakening our Nation if a natural disaster should strike. We need to replenish the SPR. We need to do it with the American resources that we are blessed with in this country. That is what H.R. 21 does. Mr. Chair, I urge a ``no'' vote on this amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment.

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Chair, once again, this amendment would further allow the President to abuse the SPR by draining it without declaring a national emergency under the Energy Policy and Conservation Act, giving him the ability to once again use the SPR for political purposes, and that is wrong. It is set aside for national emergencies, true national emergencies. Hurricanes hit the coast. We just saw one in Florida this year. We all remember Hurricane Katrina. We have adversaries threatening us around the world. We need the SPR full. We don't need it to be released to influence an election. We need it there for national emergencies. This amendment would further allow the President to abuse it. The statute is clear, and emergency triggers to use the SPR are very well defined. The law requires the President to declare that a ``severe energy supply interruption'' exists. The only reason a severe supply interruption exists is because of their policies, the policies of the Biden administration that took oil and gas production in this Nation off the table. We have American resources here. We are blessed in this Nation with abundant natural resources, but we are cursed by liberal politicians who don't want America to be energy independent. They don't want us to be energy dominant. They want to take those resources off the table for production to increase supply to meet demand to lower prices for consumers, manufacturers, and people across America. The statute defines a supply interruption as follows: ``An emergency situation exists and there is a significant reduction in supply which is of significant scope and duration.'' There was no emergency situation existing when the President withdrew oil from the SPR. ``A severe increase in the price of petroleum products has resulted from such emergency situation.'' Where was the emergency? Yes, we had higher prices because supply was low due to the policies of the administration that took oil and gas production off the table. He created the emergency if you want to call it an emergency. Number three: ``Such price increase is likely to or may cause a major adverse impact on the national economy.'' There is a solution. Drill here. Drill now. Produce American energy. The SPR is a critical national security asset. We have said that over and over and over and over and over on this side. It is a national asset paid for by the taxpayers, set aside for the use of this Nation in time of a real emergency. A real emergency. The SPR is a critical national security asset. It should have only been utilized in accordance with the law. This amendment would affect that. Mr. Chair, I urge my colleagues to vote ``no,'' and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Chair, I rise in support of this amendment, which would simply clarify that the President is not authorized to make emergency drawdowns of the SPR for political purposes. It is pretty simple. Imagine if a Republican administration would have done what this administration did. You all would be hollering from the tops of buildings in the streets. It is clear. President Biden has abused his emergency powers to raid our SPR for political gain. The SPR was meant for true emergency energy supply interruptions. President Biden has mismanaged the SPR. Mr. Chair, 250 million barrels, over 40 percent of the SPR, has been drained in less than 2 years; it happened in 15 months. We need to unleash American energy by expanding energy production on Federal lands across the country. We are going to work on that in the House majority, to expand American energy. We are fighting--like Marjorie is--to deliver affordable and reliable energy for all Americans. We are also fighting to maintain and bolster our energy security. That is what this is about: energy security, national security. H.R. 21 furthers these goals, and I support this amendment and the passage of H.R. 21.

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Chair, I move to strike the last word.

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Chair, the Democrats try to paint this picture that rising energy costs was Putin's war, Putin's gas hikes. I had to do some research. The gentleman from North Carolina tried to make this all about the war in Ukraine, the reason the President did this. Just a little factoid: The first drawdown of SPR was 2 months before Russia invaded Ukraine. So this isn't about a national emergency related to Ukraine or related to Vladimir Putin. This isn't Putin's price hike on gasoline for American consumers. This is the Biden administration's war on American energy. He said it on the campaign trail, and he is implementing it today. He implemented it from day one, and it continues. The SPR is a strategic asset for the American people to meet their needs in a time of crisis, such as a national emergency or time of war. Let's just be clear. It should not be used for political gain or political influence. The American people see right through this. They appreciated a little bump--and that is all it was, a speed bump--at the pump for them. The prices went right back up. It didn't have much influence on the price of energy in this country. What can have an influence on the price of energy in this country is producing American energy resources. My goodness. We are blessed in this Nation with natural gas and oil to meet the demands of a growing economy. Your constituents and mine are paying the price at the pump. It is time to unleash American energy dominance, which we can. Mr. Chair, I yield to the gentlewoman from Georgia (Ms. Greene).

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Chair, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Chairman, the education of my colleagues continues. A plan? The administration in violation of the law that requires a 5-year drilling plan on OCS. I was on the MMS 5-year OCS drilling study committee. I know what the law is. The administration needs to create a 5-year plan for drilling offshore on Federal lands. That is a plan. We talked about oil and how we shouldn't import oil. There are all kinds of different oil: heavy and light. Our refineries are set up to take a certain kind of oil. We were called a net exporter when we exceeded the demand in this country. We had a surplus and were able to export it. Net exporter because we are still going to import oil because our refineries are set up to take that kind of oil and not necessarily the oil that is produced here. My friend mentioned our neighbors to the north in Canada producing a lot more oil. They don't have refineries up there to meet their demand. They need to send that oil somewhere to be refined and made into all of the miraculous products that come out of a barrel of hydrocarbon. It doesn't just produce diesel fuel and gasoline. So they have to send that oil somewhere. But the stoppage of the Keystone XL pipeline kept that oil from coming to the United States of America. Guess what, Mr. Chairman? They have got to send it somewhere else. They have got to send it overseas to be refined somewhere. That is the reason that Canada may pay higher prices for gasoline. We have the solution. Bring that oil here. Let us refine it. Let's put American workers to work at refineries. We haven't built a refinery in this country since I don't know when. We can meet a lot of different goals in this country and globally by refining more of that product here. That is a plan for you. The Keystone pipeline is important for our refineries and the energy sector and for our allies both north and south in Mexico and Canada. We can be North American energy secure. We can actually be hemispherically energy secure by working with our colleagues. H.R. 21 is about the SPR, about requiring nonemergency use to be accompanied by a plan to produce American oil resources. There is the gentleman's plan. By requiring a plan to limit oil imports, this amendment aims to harm American families by imposing costly trade restrictions into the global market for oil, which would drive up fuel prices. OPEC doesn't play by these rules. America is the top producer in the world; increasing energy production leads to more security and price stability especially when prices are set by OPEC and the global market. This amendment undermines the purpose of the bill and undermines American energy affordability and security. Mr. Chairman, I urge a ``no'' vote for my colleagues, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Chair, I wish to speak on the point of order. This is absolutely germane. It is the same subject, and it meets all the rules. Mr. Chairman, I support the amendment.