Cory Gardner

Mr. GARDNER

Mr. GARDNER. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. GARDNER. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GARDNER. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. GARDNER

Mr. GARDNER. Mr. Speaker, I claim the time in opposition to the motion.

Mr. GARDNER. Mr. Speaker, we recognize that motions to recommit are procedural motions that are not substantive legislative proposals. They are offered by the minority party, whether Republican or Democrat, with the goal of undermining or stopping the underlying legislation on the floor. The Department of Energy's public interest consideration already looks at the concerns that you raise in this procedural motion. They already look at the factors that you talk about in this procedural motion. No liquefied natural gas can go to countries which we have sanctions on or are otherwise restricted in law. This administration has already said this will provide a net benefit to our economy. This administration has said U.S. natural gas prices will not rise to world prices. This administration has said that studies consistently demonstrate net economic benefits across all scenarios and export volumes. This administration has said the U.S. manufacturing renaissance is unlikely to be harmed by LNG exports. If you stand for this bill you stand for jobs, you stand for economic opportunity, and you stand against delays. Let's pass this bill and defeat the motion to recommit. Mr. Speaker, let's oppose the motion to recommit and do what is right for America, creating jobs for us and our allies, answering the call for freedom at home. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GARDNER. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. GARDNER

Mr. GARDNER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton), the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. GARDNER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlelady from Indiana (Mrs. Brooks).

Mr. GARDNER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from West Virginia (Mrs. Capito).

Mr. GARDNER. Mr. Chairman, I yield the gentleman an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. GARDNER. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I would point out that our colleagues in the Senate have introduced legislation similar to our legislation here on LNG exports titled, the Freedom Through Energy Export Act, by our colleague from Alaska, Mr. Begich. I point out, too, that when it comes to domestic prosperity, the fact that this could create 45,000 job opportunities, increasing the employment in energy to 3 million people by 2020, that is prosperity and freedom. Hungary's Ambassador at Large for Energy Security, Dr. Anita Orban, testified that this legislation ``sends a clear signal that the global gas market is changing, that there is the prospect of much greater supply coming from other parts of the world.'' That is world security, freedom, prosperity. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Turner), who has been a true leader on the issue of LNG exports.

Mr. GARDNER. I yield an additional 30 seconds to the gentleman from Louisiana.

Mr. GARDNER. Mr. Chairman, I would just point out that nothing in this bill changes the requirements of a NEPA analysis to be completed. I share your frustration with the titles of bill names--the bill titles. Imagine our consternation over the Affordable Care Act. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Boustany).

Mr. GARDNER. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, America's natural gas output has been rising since 2006, and the Energy Information Administration expects the increases to continue for decades to come. As a result, we can meet domestic demand for affordable natural gas while also producing a surplus for export to our allies around the world. The only thing standing in the way is outdated Federal redtape that greatly delays the construction of LNG export facilities. H.R. 6, the bill before us, the Domestic Prosperity and Global Freedom Act, is a targeted bill that cuts redtape and puts the Department of Energy on a reasonable deadline to act on LNG export applications. I would like to thank my friend and colleague, Gene Green from Texas, for his cosponsorship of this bipartisan bill, and I urge the support of every Member in this Chamber for H.R. 6. According to the lead study conducted for the Department of Energy, natural gas exports would be a net benefit to the American economy. These exports would improve the balance of payments and support up to 45,000 jobs associated with additional natural gas production as well as the construction and operation of LNG export facilities by 2018. Needless to say, these new jobs could not come at a better time for our economy. Remember the concerns many of us had over the U.S. economy hemorrhaging billions of dollars every year going overseas to pay for energy imports. Well, for natural gas, the roles can be reversed, and we could be the ones selling energy on the global market and bringing in billions of dollars in job-sustaining revenues. The economic impacts alone make natural gas exports a winning policy, but the geopolitical impacts are an incredible benefit as well and have been ignored for far too long. Allies around the world have told us that they would greatly benefit from American LNG. Last October, the Committee on Energy and Commerce held a forum that included ambassadors and other officials representing 11 U.S. allies, all of whom strongly urged us to enter the global LNG marketplace. Since then, several other allies have stepped forward with the same request. This includes our friends in eastern Europe unfortunate enough to be reliant on Russia for natural gas. Not only do these nations face unfair pricing, but political pressure, as a result of their dependence on Russia. These nations believe that the very passage of this legislation, the signal that we are serious about LNG exports, would immediately reduce Russia's negotiating leverage even before the first molecule of LNG shipment actually goes out. H.R. 6 will start doing good the very day it is enacted. I should note that our efforts on LNG exports began before the current crisis erupted in Ukraine. Russia's actions over the past several months demonstrate the importance of this bill, and Russia's recent decision to cut off supplies to Ukraine further underscore the need for America to provide Europe an alternative supply of natural gas. Indeed, we can effectively push back against Russia's aggression and help our friends without ever putting any troops in harm's way. Beyond Europe, we can also strengthen our economic ties with allies in Asia, who would rather buy their energy from us than from less reliable Middle Eastern suppliers. We can also assist nations in achieving their environmental goals by offering the option of clean-burning natural gas, and we can help many developing countries by providing them with an energy source that is cheaper than the choices available to them now. The economic benefits alone--or the geopolitical benefits alone--make LNG exports a worthwhile policy; but taken together, they make it a no- brainer. Unfortunately, the decades-old Federal approval process for LNG export facilities is acting as an impediment. Proposed projects have languished at DOE for years on end. While DOE has recently announced some changes to the process, the agency is still under no deadline to act. The amendment that I am offering with Mr. Green changes that. It provides that, once the extensive environmental review conducted by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to comply with the National Environmental Policy Act is complete for a project, the Department of Energy has a 30-day deadline to issue a final decision on the application pending before the agency. It is a sensible and workable solution to the current regulatory bottleneck. It is an answer to a call from our allies for energy security. It is time to help our friends abroad. It is time to create jobs here at home. I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 6. I reserve the balance of my time. Congress of the United States, House of Representatives, Washington, DC, June 24, 2014. Hon. Fred Upton, Chairman, Committee on Energy and Commerce, Washington, DC. Dear Chairman Upton, I am writing concerning H.R. 6, the ``Domestic Prosperity and Global Freedom Act,'' which the Committee on Energy and Commerce reported on June 19, 2014. As reported, H.R. 6 contains a section on judicial review, which is within the Committee on the Judiciary's Rule X jurisdiction. As a result of your having consulted with the Committee and in order to expedite the House's consideration of H.R. 6, the Committee on the Judiciary will not assert is jurisdictional claim over this bill by seeking a sequential referral. However, this is conditional on our mutual understanding and agreement that doing so will in no way diminish or alter the jurisdiction of the Committee on the Judiciary with respect to the appointment of conferees or to any future jurisdictional claim over the subject matters contained in the bill or similar legislation. I would appreciate your response to this letter confirming this understanding, and would request that you include a copy of this letter and your response in the Congressional Record during the floor consideration of this bill. Thank you in advance for your cooperation. Sincerely, Bob Goodlatte, Chairman.

Mr. GARDNER. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 6.

Mr. GARDNER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Lance).

Mr. GARDNER. I yield the gentlelady an additional 30 seconds.

Mr. GARDNER. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Ryan), a sponsor of H.R. 6, somebody who has been with this bill, this legislation, from the beginning as we have worked on this bipartisan process.

Mr. GARDNER. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I thank the chairman for your leadership over this hour and thank the gentleman from California for the debate and the Members who came and debated this important piece of legislation today. Look, we know this bill has the support of organizations like the National Association of Manufacturers, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. People who represent the businesses of this country, the industrial might of this country, support H.R. 6 because they know that when we can produce our energy in our own backyard and help our allies to a greater prosperity for themselves, we are doing the right thing with H.R. 6. This bill is the confluence of two policies that we try to promote but often fail to achieve: the policy of domestic job creation, where 45,000 people could be taken off the unemployment rolls because of H.R. 6. The other policy that we achieve with this legislation is to give our friends and allies a greater degree of freedom, a greater ability to be independent from Russia, their aggressive neighbors that just decide one day to invade. Mr. Chairman, H.R. 6 is the work of a bipartisan group of lawmakers who have worked over the past several months to make sure that we have the support--not just from the Republican side of the aisle, but strong support from both sides of the aisle, Democrats and Republicans who believe that we should answer the call from our friends and allies for energy security, for economic opportunity at home, and to make sure that we continue the energy revolution in this country. Opposition to the bill, as I said in committee, is like hanging up on a 911 phone call from our friends and allies. Let's pass this legislation. Let's achieve exactly what the title of this bill says: prosperity at home and help for our allies. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. GARDNER. Mr. Chairman, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. GARDNER. At this point, we only have two remaining speakers. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe).

Mr. GARDNER. We have two additional speakers.

Mr. GARDNER. Mr. Chairman, at this time, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Lamborn).

Mr. GARDNER. I yield the gentleman an additional minute.

Mr. GARDNER

Mr. GARDNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the remarkable veterans of Honor Flight Northern Colorado as they make their 12th trip to Washington, DC to visit the memorials that stand in our nation's capital. While they served on different battlefields, they are united in their dedication and sacrifice to protecting the greatest nation on Earth. The Honor Flight program was founded in 2005 with its original mission to fly veterans of World War II to Washington, DC free of cost, to visit the monuments and statues that symbolize their great sacrifices. Since then, Honor Flight has expanded and now includes every brave individual who has served valiantly in all other American engagements. This venerable program stands as a symbol of this country's gratitude and admiration for our veterans, and will continue to honor the men and women who have answered the call of duty. Of the 121 veterans visiting with its next flight, 34 served in WWII, 69 in Korea, and 18 in Vietnam. Ours is the greatest nation on Earth, where the inherent values of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are preserved through the countless heroic deeds demonstrated by our men and women in uniform. While these memorials and statues resemble the selfless acts and service of our veterans, in truth, the debt that we owe them can never be repaid in stone. Today, we honor these dignified heroes who have guaranteed through their sacrifice the underlying virtues, laws, and freedoms of this exceptional nation: Mr. Speaker, please join me in honoring Norlin Akers, Joseph Arthur, Donald Carlstrom, William Culp, Robert Davidson, Victor Ebel, Reginold Edwards, Arthur Engler, John Eschbaugh, Daniel Flanagan, Anthony Gance, Robert Gittinger, Paul Glasgow, Gene Hansen, Dean Hecker, Henry Jesse, Benjamin Jones, Robert King, Virgil Kiser, Fred Knipschild, James McIver, Richard Minges, Jack Moss, Ronald Reidy, Robert Ryan, Herbert Shelton, Jay Spaulding, William Spearman, Charles Sutter, Howard Swartz, Arpad Szallar, Eugene Turnbull, William Worth, George Zuniga, Dean Amdahl, Alfred Apodaca, Jennings Barr, Earl Bartlow, Elmer Bartlow, James Beach, John Bergquist, Eugene Burmester, Larry Carpenter, Glenn Chapman, William Chrismer, Harl Clark, Leonard Cooper Sr., LaVerne Dietz, Alfred Duchene, Emanuel Eckas, Thelma Eckas, Donald Eckert, Jessie Ellis, Edwin Ellstrom, Samuel Evans Jr., Herman Friesenhahn, Henry Geisert, Paul Gill, Lloyd Gould, George Hare, Eugene Hemmerle, William Hock, Milton Hunholz, Willis Janssen, William King, Dean Kingcade, Wallace Kirchhoff, Lawrence Kopecky, Richard Kounovsky, John Kreman, Kenneth Lamp, Robert Larsen, Dennis Larson, Lawrence Lawler, James Lee, William Leppert, Murdo MacLennan, Philip Mahoney, Charles Markesbery, Gene Mitchell, Robert Nagel, Dale Nelson, George Niedermayr, Willard Nordick, Richard Ochsner, Gerald Pearson, Donald Piermattei, Reid Pope, Paul Shapard, Howard Smallwood, Richard Spaulding, Donald Sterling, Harold Sulzbach, Robert Swanstrom, Betty Taylor, John Waddell, Donald Webb, Louie Wells, Russel White, Norman Wikler, Egbert Womack Jr., George Woodman, James Yenter, Jon Ackerman, Isidro Arroyo, Ronald Britton, Steven Drake, Vearlon Forbes, James Freeland, Jimmie Garcia, Kenneth Hedger, Kenneth Hollingshead, Kenneth Jacobsen, Mark Kauffman, Terry Keating, Robert Klausner, William Miller, William Ortega, Marvin Pruitt, Robert Taylor, and Gene Thim.