Jeff Duncan

Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina

Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina. I thank the gentlewoman from Wyoming. She does a fabulous job. That is one of the things I enjoy about serving in the United States Congress, is meeting the congressmen from all of the other States that can educate me and can educate America about what is going on in their States--what is going on in their States to help meet Americans' energy needs, to help us truly become energy independent, to do all of the things that we have talked about here this evening. You know, people back home may say: What have y'all done in Congress? What have you done in the House to address these issues? We have sent numerous bills over to the Senate, where they languish in Harry Reid's office. The majority leader fails to bring the bills that the House has passed--even if you differ with the elements in those bills, bring them up. Bring them into a committee hearing, and let's have a markup. Let's change those bills and pass whatever meets your desires for American energy independence or a lack thereof in the Senate. How about change the bills and send them back? We will go to conference, and we will work something out. Instead, we have got a logjam. All these bills are right behind the dam, and then we could unleash all that power behind the dam by unleashing the American energy independence potential that you have heard talked about here tonight. We just recently passed an offshore energy jobs bill, Lowering Gasoline Prices to Fuel an America That Works Act, to open up these areas. I want to commend Chairman Doc Hastings for his work on the Natural Resources Committee to really open up those Federal areas where we talk about those resources. I would like to give a moment of praise to my Senator Tim Scott who has got the SEA Jobs Act that would address a lot of the all-of-the-above energy issues that I have got in the EXPAND Act, to expand Americans' opportunities to pursue their resources and become energy independent, and it provides resources back to the State and revenue sharing and jobs. It works, America. Energy is a segue to job creation, and that is what we are here to talk about tonight, putting Americans to work, meeting our energy needs, using those geopolitical levers that we may have to influence politics around the world, to help our friends and allies in Ukraine and in Europe that need America's energy resources, that want America's energy resources. So as we wind down our time here tonight, energy production in the United States means lower energy costs for Americans. I started out with a very simple question: Americans, how much more is your regular travel costing you? How much more does it cost you to drive from your home to work and back, from your home to school and back, from your home to church and back, and how much less do you have in your wallet at the end of the day because of the amount of money it has taken you to meet the energy needs of just transportation and electricity costs because of EP regulations? You heard the gentlewoman from Wyoming talk about it and others. We could do something about it. We could solve it here today by meeting our energy needs with energy production. That is why the House energy action team is leading on this issue. I appreciate the other colleagues being here tonight, and with that, Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina. I thank the gentleman from Oklahoma for sharing that. He is exactly right. It is simple. It is supply and demand. That is simple economics. Let's put American oil and natural gas out there on the world market, and I believe you will see the spigot turned on by others that don't want to see us become energy independent, and I think you will see the price down go. You know, I will get criticized because I want to allow seismic to happen off the Atlantic coast in the OCS areas, and they will say: oh, you are going to hurt the marine mammals, the dolphins and whales and other things. Well, the environmental impact statement came out. There is good mitigation in there that industry can live with to mitigate any damage. If the whales are migrating north, they could stop those activities, but even with that, there hasn't been a single proven instance. Now, we have been doing seismic all over the Gulf of Mexico, off the coast of Africa, in the Mediterranean, in the Red Sea, in the Persian Gulf. All over the world, they have been doing seismic work and not a single proven instance where seismic testing has caused permanent deafness or any other injury to a marine mammal, not a single one, but yet that is the criticism that we will take for wanting to actually look down on the Earth and see if there are recoverable resources. I will tell you where there are recoverable resources, and that is in the great State of Wyoming, where they get energy--about $1 billion of revenue back to the State of Wyoming through revenue sharing, through the development of their natural resources and those oil and gas and coal deposits they have, and the single Member representing the State of Wyoming (Mrs. Lummis), I am sure can talk about that.

Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina. I thank the gentleman from Virginia for getting on the letters, the right letter to include that area. Energy production in the United States means lower energy costs for Americans. It is as simple as that. Energy independence through production here at home in our own backyards keeps Americans safe from the turmoil around the world. The U.S. Atlantic and the entire OCS is a missed opportunity, but it is not an opportunity we are going to continue missing. It is an opportunity we are going to continue to propose, we are going to continue to support, because when Americans are free to dream and innovate, they will always find a cheaper, safer, cleaner, and more efficient way to produce energy and use energy. We need to make it happen. I will now ask my colleague from Oklahoma--who I believe will be the next Senator from Oklahoma and will take a tremendous amount of experience over to the United States Senate, where I know he will talk about what is going on in Oklahoma now and what has gone on in Oklahoma in the past because he has educated me. They have been fracturing down in Oklahoma for about 50 years. I remember the comments he made to us on the floor one day, right here in a HEAT Leadership Hour. He said: come to Oklahoma, and drink our water. So I will now yield to the gentleman from Oklahoma (Mr. Lankford).

Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina. I thank the gentleman from Texas. He has been a leader as long as I have known him on energy issues, representing Houston. I have been to Houston. I have seen the activity around the oil and gas industry, and I can tell you there are some States that want a little piece of that. South Carolina is one of those. You are exactly right on the LNG terminals. Ukraine, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, they are all reliant on Russian gas now and they are concerned about the posturing of Russia, and they are concerned about whether that spigot might be turned off, that pipeline might be interrupted that supplies the much-needed energy that they enjoy currently. They are looking west. They are looking to the United States. How about exporting your natural gas? You have got a ton of it. How about giving us some of it? We will buy it. We will pay you for it. India, as the gentleman said. It is a geopolitical advantage that the United States has. I was mentioning earlier about the areas that are opened up for development, and I wanted to show America this. I know it is small, but you can see the orange. That is right around South America. All that area in orange is open for energy development. But look at North America. There is a lot of blue water. There are a lot of areas outside of the Gulf of Mexico, outside of the area off of Alaska, that are not available to energy production. They should be and they could be. We have got a letter, a Dear Colleague letter, that we are sending to Secretary Jewell, saying, Look, we need a new 5-year plan for leasing the Outer Continental Shelf area. We want to see certain areas like the mid- and South Atlantic included in that area, want to continue opening up more and more of the gulf. But we would love to see the areas that are reflected in blue and not open on the map I just showed. Countries like Canada and Mexico and China, they are ramping up their efforts to develop their offshore resources and will be directly competing with the United States. It is past time, America, that we develop the resources that we have been blessed with here in this country. This letter, I am a leader on it. I am asking my colleagues, I am asking Americans to contact your Congressman and say, how about get on that letter to Secretary Jewell that Congressman Duncan has got, and let's encourage her to open up more areas that might be available in the next 5-year plan. Five years out, let's open up more areas for energy production. Let's have lease sales. Let's allow exploration. I know the next gentleman from Virginia, he gets it as well because I have dealt with Virginia for a long time. Senator Frank Wagner, from over near Norfolk, I met early on in my delving into the whole energy spectrum and arena. I went offshore on the Gulf of Mexico with the Senator, and he taught me about what Virginia was doing. They were leading with an energy plan for the State of Virginia. They were leading with looking toward the offshore areas. I know the gentleman that represents that area in the United States Congress, Mr. Rigell, fully understands that. I yield to the gentleman.

Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina. I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania. He has been a leader in his short time in Congress as a freshman on energy issues because he gets what is going on in his home State. I keep returning to the State of Texas because Texas, they have been developing energy resources for a very, very long time. When you think about Texas and Oklahoma, that is where it began in this country, the immense resources they have. I yield to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe), one of my heroes and good friends who wants to talk about what is going on in his home State.

Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina. I thank the gentleman from Texas. As I said earlier, Texas gets it. I remember a colleague of ours from Louisiana who said that drilling equals jobs. That sums it up--drilling equals jobs. I appreciate the gentleman from Louisiana, Jeff Landry, our former colleague, for sharing that with us. I drive a diesel truck. I was filling up just recently back in the spring, and there happened to be an off-road diesel pump right beside the on-road diesel pump that I was at. I was paying about $3.59 a gallon for diesel fuel for my pickup, and I noticed the off-road diesel fuel price was about 10 cents less, about $3.49. I took a picture of it, and I shared it on Facebook because I wanted folks to realize America's farmers are paying $3.49 a gallon for off-road diesel fuel. This is a fuel you can't run on the highway because the Federal Government and the States don't collect any highway taxes from off-road fuel. It is just pure diesel fuel. If this is what America's farmers put in their tractors, it is off-road for a reason. If they are paying $3.49 a gallon for off-road diesel fuel, that is an input cost. That is a cost of production. They are putting $3.49 a gallon of diesel fuel in their tractors to plant our crops and, in the fall, to harvest our crops. I think about the cost of fertilizer right now, which should be low because natural gas is abundant in this country--and I think the gentleman from Pennsylvania is going to talk about this in just a minute and what they have found in Pennsylvania. Natural gas is a huge component in the production of fertilizer, but fertilizer is at an historical high still. So you have got the input cost for farmers of off-road diesel fuel at $3.49 a gallon--that input cost and the cost of fertilizer. We know of the regulations the gentleman from Texas was talking about that the EPA continues to push down on Americans, and America's farmers are feeling the brunt of it on where they can spray their pesticides or their herbicides and how far from ditches they need to be. There is some common sense there, I understand, but there is regulation after regulation. We have even combated, since I have been in Congress, the regulation of farm dust. Now, can you believe that the EPA would want to regulate dust created through the normal agricultural process? The input cost of farmers will be affected and will affect the price, rather, of the commodities that moms and dads buy when they go to the grocery store this fall after harvest time. You think about commodity prices being high, and we are already seeing historically high milk prices, historically high beef prices, historically high fuel prices to go back and forth to the grocery store just to buy those commodities. It means less money for the hardworking American taxpayers at the end of the day who are having to pay extra for ObamaCare, extra in taxes to pay for the large government and government spending that we see. We can help. This Congress can help by lowering the price of fuel-- gasoline for America's truckers and for America's moms and dads who travel back and forth. We have got an abundance of natural gas in this country. It gets a bad rap when you use words like ``hydraulic fracturing.'' I will tell you it is working in Marcellus in Pennsylvania and Ohio. It could work in New York if they would get off their can and open up those areas. The gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Rothfus) understands. He understands the area of Marcellus, so I yield to the gentleman so he can talk about that area.

Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina. Madam Speaker, as part of the House Energy Action Team, it is important for us to address the hardworking American taxpayers that are concerned about their rising energy costs and who want to know what their United States Congress is going to do about the issue of energy independence, the cost of fuel, the cost of electricity, and the fact that they have got less money in their wallet after a week of driving back and forth between work and taking the kids to school and ball games and church and all the things that we, as average Americans, do. After they pay for the fuel to do all of that, to drive their vehicles to and fro, they reach in their wallet for extra cash, and there is none left. What is the United States Congress going to do about the rising cost of energy? I came to Washington to focus on three things: jobs, energy, and our Founding Fathers. Jobs. How about unleashing and unbridling the innovative and entrepreneurial spirit of Americans that will actually turn this economy around by putting Americans to work, lessening the number of Americans on the welfare rolls, and actually having Americans earn their way? Jobs. Energy. Energy is a segue to job creation in this country. Look at the States that have energy-driven economies like Oklahoma, Texas, Louisiana, and North Dakota. North Dakota has a 3 percent unemployment rate or less. In fact, McDonald's is paying a finder's fee. If you have got somebody who wants to go to work at a McDonald's in North Dakota, they will pay you a finder's fee. Jobs and energy. Energy is a segue to job creation and putting Americans to work. We are not just talking about the men and women wearing the hard hats and the oil uniforms out on the drilling platforms or in the Bakken up in North Dakota, turning those drills and producing that, whether it is through horizontal drilling or hydraulic fracturing or shallow water or deep water offshore. Yes, those are good-paying jobs. Those are hardworking American taxpayers. But think about all the other jobs that support the offshore industry and the onshore industry. These are Americans that are working doing pipefitting and welding. And guess what. Pipes fall on truck beds, and the beds have to be repaired. So there are auto body mechanics and engine mechanics. All these people work in that industry. It can be those in HVAC. Folks are going out on the rigs to fix the air conditioner or provide the food service or the transportation or the supply vessels carrying the drilling mud and the diesel fuel. Everything that it takes to support energy production in this country, guess what. Those folks are going to the local restaurants and they are eating and they are giving tips to the waitresses. They are going to their churches and they are tithing. They are joining the United Way and they are sponsoring ball teams. They are supporting our local communities. You see it all up and down the Texas and Louisiana highways. You see it in North Dakota and Oklahoma. And guess what. We want to see it in South Carolina. In fact, there are some gentlemen here that want to see it off their coast or may want to see it expanded in their States, whether it is onshore or offshore. They understand that energy production is a segue to putting Americans to work. Jobs, energy, and our Founding Fathers. Limited government, free markets, individual liberties, unleashing that entrepreneurial spirit that Americans have within us to go and create and do and put Americans to work and, yes, pay taxes to the government so the government can do its constitutional role. Jobs, energy, and our Founding Fathers is a great acronym. It spells ``Jeff,'' and I am all about Jeff. We want to see the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf opened up. We want to see some seismic work done first. That is the first step. Let's see what is out there. They are looking at 30-year-old seismic graphs, trying to figure out are there recoverable resources off the coast of South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, the States that want to see that area opened up. Using 30-year-old technology and 30-year-old graphs, let's see some 21st century technology drug in the Atlantic, like 4-D and 3-D technology, to actually see down in the Earth and see what sort of resources might be recoverable. Let's allow the seismic work, and let's allow universities like the University of South Carolina do it. Being a Clemson graduate, it pains me to say that the University of South Carolina and Dr. James Knapp are leading the way, teaching the young, new minds to use that seismic technology and look at those graphs and figure out where those resources are. He is doing tremendous work there at the University of South Carolina. Let's open up more areas. It is hard for me to applaud the Obama administration on a whole lot, but I will applaud them on a transboundary hydrocarbon agreement signed by then-Secretary Clinton with Mexico that opened up a million and half acres in the Gulf of Mexico, shared resources right under that maritime boundary between the United States and Mexico. Mexico just denationalized their energy company, Pemex. They are opening up to more private investments. We are going to see great things happen in the transboundary area. But even though she signed that agreement, the administration failed to send to this Congress the implementing language to actually make it happen and to include those areas in the next 5-year plan. That took an act of Congress. That took a bill that passed out of this body last year. That took efforts like Paul Ryan had in the omnibus to get the transboundary hydrocarbon implementing language in the omnibus so that we could open up that million and a half acres and we could put more men and women here in America, hardworking American taxpayers, to work developing the energy resources that we have in this country. God bless the United States of America. He continues to bless us with the resources here to be truly American energy independent. We are working with our neighbors to the north with something like the Keystone pipeline--which should happen--to bring that Canadian oil into this country to the refineries where we have idle capacity and to put that oil into the marketplace in gasoline and plastic and asphalt and diesel fuel and all the other butanes and all the other elements that come out of a barrel of hydrocarbons when you put it under pressure and it separates naturally in all sorts of wonderful God-given elements. The Keystone pipeline should happen. That is a no-brainer for most Americans that I talk to, but apparently the administration just doesn't get it. They don't get that the Keystone pipeline will put Americans to work. We are talking about jobs. We are talking about energy. We are talking about less government. The Keystone pipeline and North American energy independence includes working with our neighbors to the south in Mexico as they decentralize, denationalize their energy industry, and more private investment, more American companies going down there developing those resources so we can possibly have North American energy independence, if not just American energy independence. I am joined by a number of Members of Congress here that are part of the House Energy Action Team. One gentleman from the neighboring State to my north understands what I talked about with the Outer Continental Shelf and that mid-Atlantic, south Atlantic OCS area that we believe has resources. If you look at the geology, North Africa and the Middle East and England were all together one time with the United States, and the resources and geology are very similar. We believe that in the south. I know in South Carolina we may have some recoverable resources, and we can be players in that. I know the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hudson) wants to talk, I am sure, about that North Carolina offshore area.

Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina

Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina. Madam Chairman, several coastal States, including my home State of South Carolina, as well as the Commonwealth of Virginia, have long advocated for responsible offshore energy development for our shores. This resource development starts with seismic surveying and goes all the way to production. Unfortunately, the Obama administration has blocked this exploration and development every step of the way, from tying up the seismic permitting process in bureaucratic delays to excluding several Atlantic States from the current 5-year plan. As we move forward to plan for a more secure energy future, opening access to new areas of our Outer Continental Shelf, or OCS, is a no- brainer. We must do it to stay competitive and to generate American energy and American jobs. When BOEM conducts their 5-year planning process, they use administrative boundaries to divide up areas for leasing. This amendment simply tells them to consider Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia as one area. Our amendment is simple: it unifies four pro-offshore drilling States as one administrative area for offshore leasing planning purposes. It also ensures that the South Atlantic meets the underlying threshold in H.R. 4899--and I want to commend Chairman Doc Hastings for his leadership on this--so that sales in this area will be included in future 5-year plans under this legislation. Our amendment does not have any effect on revenue-sharing and it does not hold back other Atlantic areas from seeking to develop energy off their shores. I will give a shout-out to Senator Tim Scott, who has also taken the initiative on the Senate side for this very issue. Madam Chairman, I came to Washington as a Congressman to focus on jobs, energy, and our Founding Fathers. H.R. 4899 focuses on job creation. Energy production is a segue to job creation in this country. If you look at North Dakota, Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana, these are energy-producing States that have very, very low unemployment. North Dakota has a 3 percent unemployment rate--or less. In fact, you can get a finder's fee if you get somebody to work at a McDonald's in North Dakota. We can have economic development in this country if we allow energy production onshore and offshore. My State of South Carolina wants to see those energy jobs along our coast. These are not just the oily guys in the hard hats out on the rigs turning the drill. These are folks onshore supporting the offshore industry. These are the widgetmakers, the pipefitters, the welders, auto body mechanics, and the waitresses at the restaurants that receive the tips from all these workers, the churches that receive the tithes, the chambers of commerce and United Ways that receive our contributions. Energy jobs have a tremendous trickle-down effect on the economy. The first domino is to actually open up these areas, and I think that is what South Carolina, Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia want to see. They want to see our areas offshore at least included in the next 5 years plan, so guess what? Maybe we can go out there and drive some seismic. Maybe we can get beyond this 30-year old technology that we are using to see if there are any resources off our coast. Maybe we can actually use 21st century technology like 3-D and 4-D technology that will actually see down into the Earth and see what recoverable resources may or may not be there. Let's allow these areas in the next 5-year plan to help create jobs in our States--jobs, energy, our Founding Fathers, and a return to more states' rights issues.

Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina. Madam Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina. I yield to the gentleman.

Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina. I thank the gentleman from Washington for his leadership on this. Madam Chairman, the folks in Florida were concerned, but guess what? This area stops at the Florida-Georgia line. They can deal with their own waters. These are the waters of Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia that we are talking about. I spoke yesterday and had a graph of disease fuel prices in this country--I drive a diesel truck--and of the disparity between off-road and on-road diesel fuel. Let me tell you this: if we, through our policies, could lower the price of diesel fuel by $1 from that $3.69 a gallon for America's truckers down to $2.69--there is a 300-gallon tank on every 18-wheeler. If we could lower the price by $1, we would save every trucker $300 per fill-up. Think about how that trickles down to the price of the commodities when you shop all across America. I support this amendment, and I ask everyone to support this simple, administrative change. Madam Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina. I want to thank the gentleman from Virginia for the time and for his leadership on this issue. Madam Chairman, I am wearing a Clemson Tiger Paw and an orange tie today in support of Clemson University, but I will tell you that the University of South Carolina has a leading program on geology and seismic testing. Dr. James Knapp testified before this committee about what they can do in looking at 3-D and 4-D 21st century technology to find the resources, to pinpoint those resources, and to maximize the production of those resources. That is what we want--to partner with the universities as Mr. Wittman mentioned--in order to help shape the minds and opportunities and the potential of future leaders within the energy realm. So I commend him. I support this amendment, and I hope my colleagues will.

Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina

Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina. Mr. Chairman, I want to first thank Chairman Hastings for his work on H.R. 4899, a bill that actually will ease the pain at the pump for moms and dads. There is no doubt about it. Just since President Obama has taken office, gasoline prices have more than doubled, and I am not telling the American people anything they don't know because, when they reach in their wallet and take out money to pay for that gas--just to go back and forth to work or take the children to their sporting events or to school--they realize that more of their discretionary income is going to pay the fuel that runs the cars and the trucks that they drive. I drive a diesel truck. I am paying--what--$3.69 a gallon, most recently. I took this picture at a pump there in South Carolina, $3.69 a gallon for on-road diesel fuel. Now, on that on-road diesel fuel is factored in all the highway taxes, but there was another pump right beside that one. It was for off-road diesel fuel. Now, historically, off-road diesel fuel is a lot less than on-road diesel fuel. Why? Because there are no Federal taxes involved. It is not going to run on the road, so they are not going to collect taxes for that. Where is that fuel used? It is used on farms. If you look at the price, it is $3.54 and 9/10 cents a gallon. What does that mean? Well, that means farmers that are just finishing putting their crops in the ground across this Nation paid $3.54 a gallon for off-road diesel fuel. Their input costs have gone up. What does that mean? If this remains the same at harvest time, guess what? The commodity prices in this country will go up. We are already seeing historically high milk prices, historically high beef prices. You can try to blame the commodity prices in the fall on the drought in California. Some of that will be the fact, but I can tell you that the input cost for fertilizer and for diesel fuel to put the crops in the ground and harvest those are definitely a factor. Moms and dads know what is going on. We can increase production in this country offshore and onshore through this bill. The President takes credit for increased production onshore, and I will give him this: production has increased onshore, but it has nothing to do with the policies of this administration. It has everything to do with the private and State-owned land in South Dakota and places like Eagle Ford, Texas, where production is up. That State and private land has nothing to do with the administration's policies over the last 6 years. Him taking credit for increased production is like the rooster taking credit for the sunrise every morning. Moms and dads in this country know you are spending more money for fuel costs. The other side seems out of touch with America, about as out of touch as Hillary Clinton is, the pain you are feeling when you go to the pump to fill up your tank to provide for your family, going back and forth.

Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina

Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I thank the ranking member for all of his efforts to help get this bill passed out of committee. It was a truly bipartisan effort. I know he was rushed to get here from a flight from Arizona, but I am glad he was able to participate today. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Carter), the chairman of the Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee.

Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of legislation to improve the Department of Homeland Security's, DHS, acquisition management. In the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, DHS was created to ensure such an attack would never occur again; yet for much of its existence, proper management has taken a back seat. DHS is now the third largest Federal department with a budget authority of almost $60 billion. A significant amount of the budget is used to buy systems and programs used to secure our borders, protect our shores, and scan people and cargo coming into the United States, among other missions. Unfortunately, many of these major acquisition programs cost more, are late, and do less than is expected. For 9 years, the Government Accountability Office has been telling the DHS in its high-risk list that its acquisition programs are highly susceptible to fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement. In addition, the DHS inspector general has identified acquisition management as a major management challenge for DHS, and it audits have found serious mismanagement in TSA body scanners and canine teams, failures to improve radio systems, and waste in CBP and Coast Guard helicopters. Although DHS has taken steps to implement an acquisition policy with elements of commercial best practices and put mechanisms in place to review programs, it has routinely failed to hold programs accountable. This must change. DHS cannot afford its major acquisition programs. In a time of reduced budgets, DHS must make every dollar count. Today's legislation, H.R. 4228, the DHS Acquisition Accountability and Efficiency Act, follows consistent subcommittee oversight of DHS acquisition issues. In the 112th Congress, the subcommittee published an August 2012 report providing recommendations for DHS to correct weaknesses in its acquisition and contracting practices. This report went unheeded, and the weaknesses remain to this day. In the 113th Congress, we have sent numerous letters to DHS and the GAO requiring greater scrutiny on various acquisition programs, and in September 2013, we held a hearing on ways that the DHS could use best practices from the Defense Department and private sector to save taxpayer dollars in acquisition management. In view of these efforts, I am pleased that the bipartisan cooperation that the ranking member and I have had in drafting H.R. 4228, and I am grateful for the strong support this bill has received. I would also like to note letters of support from the Project Management Institute, Security Industry Association, Professional Services Council, TechAmerica, IT Alliance for Public Sector, and the American Conservative Union. Business Executives for National Security has also stated its support publicly. This bill addresses DHS' acquisition problems in several ways. First, it requires leadership accountability from the chief acquisition officer and components in following Federal law, the Federal Acquisition Regulation, and DHS acquisition management directives. Second, it requires discipline. Every major acquisition program must have an approved acquisition program baseline, an APB, which is a vital document that DHS programs need to measure performance, manage cost growth, and schedule slips; and the acquisition review board must validate acquisition documents of programs. Third, it provides clarity for American businesses by authorizing the chief procurement officer to serve as the main liaison to industry and oversee a certification and training program for DHS' acquisition workforce; by requiring a multiyear acquisition strategy to guide the direction of DHS acquisitions and help industry better understand, plan, and align resources to meet future acquisition needs of DHS; and by compelling DHS to address issues regarding bid protests. Fourth, this bill increases transparency by requiring DHS to report to Congress on programs that failed to meet cost, schedule, or performance parameters specified in the APB and by instructing DHS to eliminate unnecessary duplication and inefficiency. I believe we have a precedent for such efforts under President Ronald Reagan's leadership. In the 1980s, he worked with Congress to address these types of issues in troubled defense programs, and I believe that DHS needs similar leadership from today's President and Congress. H.R. 4228 will not solve every acquisition problem that DHS has, but it is a first step in forcing DHS to hold its acquisition programs accountable. This bill will help find cost savings through better management policies and strategies. This is essential if our government is ever going to climb out of the $17.5 trillion worth of debt. It starts one good decision at a time, and DHS can make a difference by improving its acquisition management and by thinking more strategically about its acquisition choices. The American people deserve nothing less. I urge my colleagues to support the bill. I will insert in the Record the Congressional Budget Office cost estimate. U.S. Congress, Congressional Budget Office, Washington, DC, May 21, 2014. Hon. Michael McCaul, Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security, House of Representatives, Washington, DC. Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 4228, the DHS Acquisition Accountability and Efficiency Act. If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Mark Grabowicz. Sincerely, Douglas W. Elmendorf. Enclosure. H.R. 4228--DHS Acquisition Accountability and Efficiency Act CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 4228 would cost $1 million in 2015 and less than $500,000 in each year thereafter, subject to the availability of appropriated funds. Enacting the legislation would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. H.R. 4228 would direct the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to improve the accountability, transparency, and efficiency of its major acquisition programs. The bill would specify procedures for the department to follow if it fails to meet timelines, cost estimates, or other performance parameters for these programs. In addition, H.R. 4228 would require DHS to prepare a comprehensive report each year on the status of its acquisition program and would direct the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and the DHS Inspector General to review and report on certain issues related to departmental acquisition policies. Based on the cost of similar activities, CBO estimates that the new DHS administrative procedures as well as additional reviews and reports by GAO and DHS required by H.R. 4228 would cost $1 million in 2015 and less than $500,000 annually thereafter, assuming availability of appropriated funds. CBO expects that DHS will continue to seek to improve its efficiency in acquiring goods and services under current law; we have no basis for estimating any savings in procurement costs that might occur as a result of the bill's directives to the department. H.R. 4228 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments. The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Mark Grabowicz. The estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.

Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on the bill under consideration.

Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I don't have any further speakers. I want to urge the adoption of this bipartisan bill to provide the necessary reforms to DHS' acquisition process. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Montana (Mr. Daines).

Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4228) to require the Department of Homeland Security to improve discipline, accountability, and transparency in acquisition program management, as amended.

Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina

Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to Major Eric Harrison, United States Army for his extraordinary dedication to duty and service to the United States of America. Major Harrison will be moving on from his present assignment as an Army Congressional Liaison to the House of Representatives to Fort Hood, Texas. Army Congressional Liaisons provide an invaluable service to both the military and Congress. They assist Members and staff in understanding the Army's policies, actions, operations, and requirements. Their firsthand knowledge of military needs, culture, and tradition is a tremendous benefit to Congressional offices. A native of Fairport, New York, Major Harrison graduated from North Georgia College in 2002 and was commissioned as Second Lieutenant in the Field Artillery. He has served in a variety of assignments including service in Germany, Hawaii, and the Pentagon. Major Harrison was selected for the highly competitive Joint Chiefs of Staff Internship program and has participated in multiple combat tours to Iraq. Major Harrison's military awards include the Combat Action Badge and Bronze Star Medal (three awards), as well as the Iraq Campaign Medal. He was also inducted into the Honorable Order of Saint Barbara. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education from North Georgia College, a Master of Arts in Leadership and Management from Webster University, and a Master of Policy Management from Georgetown University. Mr. Speaker, it is my honor to recognize the selfless service of Major Harrison as he proceeds to the next chapter in his remarkable career and continues to serve our great Nation. On behalf of a grateful Nation, I join my colleagues in recognizing and commending Major Harrison for his dedicated service to this country. For all he and his family have given and continue to give to our country; we are in their debt. We wish him, his wife Sara, and his sons Eli and Jack, all the best as they continue their journey in the United States Army.

Mr. DUNCAN

Mr. DUNCAN. Mr. Speaker, the number of veterans has declined by several millions in recent years, due to deaths and decreases in the numbers of our military, yet the problems in the VA and complaints by veterans about poor treatment and long delays have grown by leaps and bounds. It is definitely not a money problem because no department or agency has received the megabillions and high percentage increases that the Congress has given to the VA; yet, despite years of criticism for Members of Congress and the media, the problems have grown worse. The only effective solution is competition. I said in a speech to a veterans group many years ago that eligible veterans should be given a card and allowed to go to any hospital they choose, including those considered to be the best in the Nation. In this way, VA hospitals would be forced to provide better service, or Congress could and should close the ones with rapidly declining and/or very low occupancy rates. Mr. Speaker, our veterans deserve the very best medical treatment possible.

Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina

Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina. Mr. Chair, I rise today in support of the Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, and I will commend the chairman of the committee for his efforts on this. This legislation not only provides the necessary funding for the Department of Veterans Affairs' operation, but it also sets a clear priority of addressing the massive problems at hand at the VA. We have read the recent news article saying we are aware as a Congress of all the problems that we are seeing in the VA. For too long, the heroes that have served this country have been mistreated, overlooked, or flat-out ignored by the VA. When these brave men and women signed up to defend our Nation, they were promised to be taken care of when they returned home. However, today we see less than adequate care--doctor's visit wait times stretching months and, in some cases, years, and hundreds of thousands of backlog benefit cases. The incident the gentleman from North Carolina just talked about is prevalent all across this land in every congressional district, including mine. Mr. Chairman, when I talk to the veterans back home in my district, I hear loss of confidence in a government that promised to be there for them. I hear from war veterans who are just plain giving up on the Department of Veterans Affairs. The latest report on VA claims from April 28, 2014, shows there are almost 600,000 pending claims with over 300,000 considered backlogged that have been pending for over 125 days. Mr. Chairman, that is 125 days without an answer or resolution that these veterans will never get back. Just in my office, we have seen a multitude of cases that demonstrate the current ongoing crisis at the VA. One Korean war veteran has been working with my office on a Decision Review Officer review for over 18 months now. This is a decision process that was supposed to be quicker than a Board of Veterans' Appeal in Washington. After waiting for more than a year for a meeting before his appeal, he couldn't wait any longer and just asked for the decision to be with the information that was at hand. While he is still waiting for an answer, I am praying for a resolution for that veteran. We have seen other instances where we were able to send documentation on behalf of constituents to various Veterans Administration offices, for the very same offices to turn around months later and ask for the same information again. Is this any way to treat the men and women who sacrificed their lives to defend the very freedoms our country enjoys? Thankfully, this legislation we are considering today makes a stride in the right direction by concentrating efforts to end the current backlog; holding the VA offices accountable through office performance measurements, not just awarding bonuses for someone when the facilities are in need of some attention, we will say; and increasing medical services for veterans, and that is the most important part. This bill prioritizes the timely and accurate exchange of medical data, updating the VA health records system, and ensuring the system is operable with the Department of Defense. This is not a silver bullet, Mr. Chairman, and we still have a long way to go to get the VA clicking and ticking again, but I hope we can use that momentum to continue working towards fulfilling the promises made to our veterans and improving the lives of our Nation's heroes. They deserve it. May God bless our Nation's troops and veterans, and may God continue to bless the United States of America. I yield back the balance of my time.

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

Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina

Mr. DUNCAN of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my name as cosponsor of H.R. 2377.