Cory Gardner

Mr. GARDNER

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

Mr. GARDNER

Mr. GARDNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Centennial Celebration of Crowley County, Colorado. When the State of Colorado was accepted into the United States in 1876, this portion of Southeast Colorado became known as Otero County. In August of 1911, Crowley County became officially incorporated in the State of Colorado. It took its name from Joseph H. Crowley, a Senator in the Colorado State Legislature. Crowley County began to flourish with a rich agricultural economy. The plentiful land attracted many to settle in Crowley. Numerous farmers and ranchers came to Crowley because of ample grasslands for grazing livestock as well as soil able to produce wheat, corn, alfalfa, and sugar beets to name a few. Many successful ranchers and farmers continue their steadfast love of the land and provide a vital base of revenues and jobs for the Crowley Community. Since 1911, the economic base has added new jobs and industries. The people of Crowley County continue to be resourceful and seek new ways to drive their economy and the county continues to move forward. Crowley County continues to hold onto the values that were here 100 years ago. These values, a sense of community, pride, and hard work are still evident today. It is with this sense of community and pride that I am honored to recognize Crowley County's historic 100 year anniversary.

Mr. GARDNER

Mr. GARDNER. Mr. Speaker, as a proud member of the Taiwan Caucus, I rise today to honor Taiwan on its 100th National Day which will occur on October 10th. The relationship between Taiwan and the United States has developed into a friendship and alliance that I know will continue for years to come. Taiwan is a paradigm of what true democratic values can bring to a nation. It has a robust record of protecting individual rights, liberty, representative government, capitalism, and many more democratic values that have furthered the nation's prosperity. Taiwan has developed an economy that successfully does business around the world and their commitment to economic and political freedom is a model for countries across the globe and throughout the region. I urge my colleagues to join me in congratulating Taiwan on its 100 years of principled existence, and on its living example of true democracy against threats that at times might cause others to cower.

Mr. GARDNER

Mr. GARDNER. Mr. Speaker, 1 year ago last Friday marks the tragic day that David Hartley was killed on Falcon Lake, which straddles the U.S./ Mexico border. My staff and I have spoken with David's wife, Tiffany, on a number of occasions and pray that she, along with help from Congress, can find the answers we are all seeking regarding David's death. David's death is a horrible tragedy and underscores the need to restore safety and security to our borders. Our role in Congress is to ensure that Americans are not in danger when they visit the border. That means we need to act. We need to put in place real and effective measures that keep the Mexican drug cartels, pirates, and other unlawful activity away from the United States. The drug trade contributes to the all-too-frequent stories we hear about crime, kidnapping, and murder that occur along our southern border. The time is now to put pressure on the Government of Mexico to bring their own criminals to justice. My heart goes out to Tiffany, along with the Hartley family, during this time. I will continue to work hard for answers, and I will continue to fight for border security so that atrocities like this simply stop occurring.

Mr. GARDNER

Mr. GARDNER. Over this past week, I was reminded that while my Jewish friends and colleagues were celebrating Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish new year, members of the United Nations were considering a motion that would further jeopardize chances for Middle East peace. I'm very concerned, Mr. Speaker, that the willingness of the U.N. to consider Palestinian statehood, despite United States calls to halt such an action, will embolden Israel's enemies. This must stop now. We must send a message to the United Nations that their continued support for anti-Semitic and anti-Israel resolutions is unacceptable to the United States. As members of our House leadership, Republican and Democrat, recently said in a New York Daily News op-ed: ``Congress will not sit idly by.'' Nor will I sit idly by. We simply cannot and will not allow Israel, a beacon of hope in a volatile area of the world, to be ignored and cast aside by the U.N. Lasting peace will only succeed if the Israelis and the Palestinians themselves come to the table for direct negotiations. Peace is not easy, as we have seen. But it will not be achieved by unilateral decisions made by an international body that does not represent the interests of our friend and our ally Israel.

Mr. GARDNER

Mr. GARDNER. I think in that same conversation we talked about an editorial or an op-ed piece that was written by Charles Schwab, a very well respected voice when it comes to the economy in this country. In The Wall Street Journal editorial, it said basically this, a quote from Charles Schwab, What we can do and absolutely must is knock down all hurdles that create disincentives for investment in business. And that's exactly what you were talking about in terms of making sure businesses have the ability to grow and have the government getting out of the way.

Mr. GARDNER. I thank the gentleman from Arkansas and the gentleman from Michigan for his words. We all may disagree how to get there, but we do want to be sure that the final goal is reached, and that's a stronger, better America, an America that has a strong economy that's putting people back to work. This is the 31st straight month where unemployment has exceeded 8 percent. It's got to end. It's got to stop. This country needs to get an economy that's back on track. In August, I spent a lot of time visiting with businesses around my district in eastern and northern Colorado, and one of the initiatives that we launched was an initiative called the ``One More Job'' initiative. The idea was to learn from job creators, those people who are on the front lines of our economy, what it takes for them to create another job, what would help their business grow and expand to the point where they could hire somebody else so that their customers are returning, so that they're able to sell their goods, their products, their services so that that business could expand and grow again; because, in Colorado, if just 10 percent of businesses in Colorado hired one person, if just 10 percent of Colorado businesses hired one person, we would create 60,000 jobs in the State of Colorado alone, in my home State, 60,000 jobs. That's not by telling businesses that they have to hire people. That's not by telling people that they've got to do X, Y, or Z. But it's saying, all right, if we can get this economy growing again, what is it that would allow you to expand? And so I'm excited to share with the Congress, my colleagues, ideas that job creators in Colorado have about what it would take to get their businesses hiring again. An independent consultant and business owner had this to say in response to our ``One More Job'' initiative: ``As a startup consultant and owner of my own business, I see the day-to-day regulatory burdens and uncertainties that many employers, both small and large, face. It seems to me that small businesses, including high-tech startups, are operating on the edge of knowing. They operate month to month or even day to day only to find out that a government fee or regulation or tax threatens to close their doors.'' We have a kerfuffle every day on this floor about what it will take to move this economy forward, about what it's going to take to start creating jobs again. Let's listen to a car dealer. Tourism. Many jobs here. Build a strategy of promoting the State's beauty on a consistent basis. I'm glad to say that last night this body, the House of Representatives, passed a bill to increase the opportunity for tourism in Colorado around our ski resorts, our ski slopes in Colorado, the opportunity to not just generate jobs during the ski season itself, but to allow off-season uses, multiple seasons of use, zip lines, alpine slides, creating jobs in tourism in Colorado. This body passed that bill last night. I hope the Senate will pass it soon so that we can start creating jobs. When I hear from my colleagues around Washington, D.C., around the country saying that the House of Representatives hasn't passed a jobs bill, we passed the Jobs and Energy Permitting Act. That would create 54,000 jobs. Last night, we passed a bill that would add to tourism jobs in Colorado, across the State, across the country. And so we are passing these bills. They need to move through the Senate. They need to be signed by the President. The fact is we've got a lot of work to be done, and I thank the gentleman from Arkansas for allowing us to be here today to share that message.

Mr. GARDNER. I thank the gentleman from Arkansas. And to your point, what you are talking about, the direct consequences that legislation and regulation is having on job creators throughout the United States. In another email that I got from a business owner in Longmont, Colorado, he makes comments about how the Dodd-Frank bill is affecting his business. And he ends his comments with this, ``Right now, Dodd-Frank appears to have completely killed my business.'' We dealt earlier today and we will continue to deal with the Cement MACT rule that talks about what we're going to do to basic manufacturing elements in our country when it comes to cement. If we are going to pave the road to a better economy, we'd better not do it without cement because this government is about to say, No more cement in this country. So I thank the gentleman from Arkansas for his passion for job creators in this country.

Mr. GARDNER. My colleague from Arkansas has a great point, that steeplechase economics will not work. It's when you remove the barriers, it's when you get things out of the way of this economy to grow, that's when we can create jobs. But if you're making people jump over walls and through water hazards, again, steeplechase economics have proven time and time again that they are failures. Our colleague from Kansas has shown a great visual aid of what every business owner in this country is facing when it comes to their own business, when it comes to creating jobs, when they have to decide where they're going to invest their hard-earned capital. They've got to go through pages and pages and volumes and volumes of tax codes and regulatory decisions and court decisions about what it is they can or cannot do in their business, making this economy so that it actually is unable to unleash the innovators and entrepreneurs.

Mr. GARDNER

Mr. GARDNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Martha Gustafson, the Principal of Walt Clark Middle School in Loveland, Colorado. In 2011, Ms. Gustafson was given the Colorado Middle Level Principal of the Year award by the Colorado Association of School Executives. Just two years after being named Principal of Walt Clark, the school has improved significantly, most notably with strong growth by students in math. In the Thompson School District of Colorado, Walt Clark Middle is a leader in academic growth for reading and writing. The tremendous leadership of Ms. Gustafson has provided the highest quality standards of learning. Ms. Gustafson has utilized new and creative measures to motivate teachers. Walt Clark's academic achievements prove that Ms. Gustafson's plan is succeeding. Each week, teachers analyze data regarding student performance and discuss strategies on how to improve. Ms. Gustafson's direction is innovative and illustrates that Walt Clark is consistently striving to better their students and surrounding community. This dedication to public education is moving and I am privileged to have such an outstanding educator in my Congressional District. Her commitment to public education gives inspiration to all educators that want to make a difference in every student's life. I am proud to recognize Colorado Middle Level Principal of the Year, Martha Gustafson on the House Floor.

Mr. GARDNER

Mr. GARDNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the 175th anniversary of the founding of Fort Lupton, Colorado. The city was originally founded as a trading fort by LT Lancaster Platt Lupton. The post thrived as trappers bought furs and other supplies from Native American tribes. Settlement around the fort continued throughout the mid 19th-Century and the town of Fort Lupton was incorporated by 1889. By the 1900s, Fort Lupton was transformed from a simple trading post to a thriving community with a rich agricultural economy. With the addition of strong oil and gas industries moving into the area, Fort Lupton flourished into a vibrant town in Eastern Colorado. However, when the manufacturing community moved to Fort Lupton, the old Fort had to be torn down to accommodate the growth. There are very few original artifacts remaining from the original foundation. To coincide with the 175th anniversary, the South Platte Valley Historical Society worked to create an exact replica of the adobe fort that was originally built in 1837. It will open to the public as part of the 175th anniversary celebration. I am proud to recognize this historic city on their 175th anniversary. Many people of Eastern Colorado call Fort Lupton their home.

Mr. GARDNER

Mr. GARDNER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor Sister Mary Alice Murphy for her dedication in Ft. Collins, Colorado to serving the homeless and the poor. For the last 26 years since Sister Mary Alice moved to Ft. Collins she has worked tirelessly to help the vulnerable populations of the state. She opened the first soup kitchen in Ft. Collins and with the help of St. Joseph's Parish, an overnight homeless shelter was eventually attached to the soup kitchen. When this homeless shelter opened, Sister Mary Alice ensured that the facility had a separate area for women and families who were seeking shelter. In 1992, Sister Mary Alice founded CARE Housing, a non-profit organization, whose mission was to provide affordable rental housing and supportive services to working families. Over 85 percent of the residents were single women with children. Just last year, the Sister Mary Alice Murphy Center for Hope opened. The mission at the Center for Hope is to help families and individuals achieve stability and long-term self-sufficiency. The Center is of tremendous value for the less fortunate families in Colorado. A plaque on the Center for Hope reads the following ``For her relentless effort to quest better the lives of those less fortunate. Because of her earnest, fearless, and untiring interest in those who are vulnerable, weary or forgotten. In appreciation for her unwavering commitment to people who have no voice. This building stands as a dedication to Sister Mary Alice Murphy, a great friend to many, and the embodiment of service to others.'' It is my honor to recognize Sister Mary Alice on the House floor.

Mr. GARDNER

Mr. GARDNER. Mr. Speaker, thousands of local community banks operate across the country, making a valuable contribution to America's economy. Colorado has a rich history of community banking, where small business owners and employers can do business with a bank they know and trust, and people know that the money they deposit is being redeployed into the community by an institution that wants to see the community succeed as much as they do. That shared interest in the community has traditionally led local banks to act in a responsible manner and shield themselves from systemic problems, but they are not immune from tough times. Unfortunately, federal regulators are forcing community banks in particular to fight through the rough economy with one hand tied behind their backs. In short, we must increase bank lending to improve the economy, but regulators are preventing such lending by forcing banks to hoard capital, and by prohibiting community banks from effectively working with their borrowers. We cannot expect to reinvigorate the economy while this is the case. Congress has been considering this problem since 2009, and it is time for action. It's been two and a half years since the fall of 2008, and yet we are still facing high unemployment, a weak dollar, and a sluggish economy. It is time to move forward, and we know that to move forward we need to stimulate lending. That is why I support this bill.

Mr. GARDNER

Mr. GARDNER. I thank the chairman for yielding. Today, I rise to speak on the importance of the Keystone XL pipeline, H.R. 1938. One of my goals here in Congress has been to help advance projects like this--projects that will help advance domestic sources of energy. I'm continuously awed at how much potential we have here at home--and our neighbors--and how relatively simple it would be to advance policies that would make us more energy independent. However, I'm continuously baffled at how difficult this administration has made it to wean ourselves off Middle East oil and to create more jobs here at home. In fact, this bill alone, in committee I learned that it will create 6,000 new jobs in Colorado over the next 4 years--good-paying construction jobs, for example. I'm appalled at the regulatory burdens or, almost worse sometimes, the inaction on the part of our administration that has led us down the path of insecurity and dependence on many countries that have animosity towards us. Not only do we have the resources in our own backyard, but we have the ability to utilize friendly and willing neighbors like Canada to import oil into the United States. H.R. 1938, the Northern American-Made Energy Act, would direct the President to simply make a decision on the Keystone XL permit and hopefully move us in the direction of energy security. American jobs, American made. I urge passage of this bill.

Mr. GARDNER

Mr. GARDNER. Mr. Speaker, today I rise before you to recognize the hard work and dedication of Archbishop Charles Chaput, who has served the Colorado Catholic community for over a decade. It was announced this week that he has been reassigned to lead the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. While I am saddened that Archbishop Chaput will be leaving our great State, he leaves behind a legacy of defending the innocent and helping the weak that we can all celebrate with pride. He first came to Colorado in 1977 to be pastor of Holy Cross Parish in Thornton. After many years of ministry, and having held various important positions in the Church, in 1977 Pope John Paul II appointed and installed him Archbishop of Denver. He has fought against anti- Semitism and other forms of intolerance, working tirelessly to advance religious freedom around the globe. His outreach to the Hispanic community is second to none. I first met him at the Colorado State Legislature where I came to know him as a man of high integrity and deep, deep faith. I admire the archbishop's dedication to all people of faith. I'd like to offer him my most sincere thanks for all of his work in Colorado and wish him the best of luck in all of his future endeavors.

Mr. GARDNER

Mr. GARDNER. I thank both the gentlemen from Kansas, my neighbors to the east of Colorado. When you talk about the Holcomb plant, you're talking about something that affected Colorado, my constituents, directly. My district borders western Kansas, and many of the farmers/ranchers who rely on rural electric supplies for their energy were going to rely on that plant. Their ability to get cheap, abundant, affordable energy from that plant was critical to the future of their operations. I know they continue to work on it and will continue to work with their neighbors in Kansas on that. So it doesn't just affect one State. This is a national issue: the ability to generate abundant, affordable energy. I'll also point out that those same communities in southeastern Colorado were hoping to build wind farms. Do you know what? They also rely on transmission lines, and with that power plant came transmission lines--the ability to get power from point A to point B, from where the resource is to where the people live. So, once again, we have a need for a source of abundant, affordable energy.

Mr. GARDNER

Mr. GARDNER. Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

Mr. GARDNER

Mr. GARDNER. I thank the gentlelady from Alabama for her leadership on this matter and for the time and opportunity tonight to speak about jobs, our economy and what's happening to our country. Something that really startled me a little bit tonight was when the gentlelady from Washington made this statement. In speaking to her constituents, in speaking to businesses around her district, she mentioned that one of them said, Let us succeed. I was taken aback when she said that, that somebody would actually come to her and say, All we want the government to do, all we want our policymakers to do, all we want our regulations to do is to let us succeed. Isn't it amazing that we have transformed our economy from a time when people could go out and achieve what they wanted to achieve by working hard, by sacrificing, by taking risks, and now they're concerned because their government is in a place where it won't let them succeed. I'm glad that you mentioned that tonight because I think that's at the very heart of what every single one of us has talked about tonight and what we will continue to talk about over the next months and years to come: How do we make sure that the policies that we put in place in this country aren't government-driven decisions that dictate what we're going to do for people's businesses or lives?--but instead get government out of the way so that we can let our businesses, our families and America's working families succeed? Yesterday, a report was issued by the Congressional Budget Office, but I don't know how many people saw or took the time to listen to or to read what the Congressional Budget Office report had to say. It talked about the fact that we have a $1.6 trillion deficit in this country and that we have a $14 trillion debt, all of this at the same time that our unemployment levels in this country have crept back up over 9 percent--unacceptably high. Those of us in the Chamber tonight were sent here in November because we believe that we have more important work to do than simply spending money that we don't have, than passing regulations that kill jobs. The work that we were sent here to do in November is work to get our economy back on track. The report from the Congressional Budget Office indicates that the situation of our economy is actually worse than many have been led to believe. Our national debt will grow to be larger than the entire U.S. economy this year. We officially owe more than the entire country produces in a year. That will happen at the end of this year. If this isn't a wake-up call to what is happening in our economy, to what is happening in our spending, I don't know what will be. We cannot afford to wait and delay. We've got to solve this problem now. I want to read a quote from the Congressional Budget Office report: The sooner that long-term changes to spending and revenues are agreed on and the sooner they are carried out once the economic weakness ends, the smaller will be the damage to the economy from the growing Federal debt. The report didn't say we can avoid the damage. The report didn't say there won't be any damage. The report said the smaller will be the damage. A $14 trillion debt. A $1.6 trillion deficit. That is damaging our economy; it's damaging our country, and it's damaging our opportunity to create jobs and long-term economic stability. It is a clear call to action from the Congressional Budget Office. We've got to be bulldogs around this Chamber when it comes to reducing our spending. We have to make sure that we are standing up to the regulators who want to put people out of business simply because they're sitting behind a desk and think they can. Tom Blach is a constituent of mine who came to me 2 years ago and said, I'm worried that I'll lose my business because of overregulation. Do you know what he saw over the course of the last 2 years? He saw the people he did business with, the people he partnered with leave the State of Colorado because of overregulation. Last Saturday, I had the opportunity to tour Roggen, Colorado, Haxtun, Colorado, Akron, Colorado, in the Eastern Plains to talk to farmers, wheat growers, cattlemen, ag businessmen, all who came to me with a similar theme: what is happening to them with overregulation and their concern that they won't have the opportunity to pass on their legacies to future generations because of a government that has decided it knows best and knows more than they. I want to talk a little bit about what the gentlelady from Alabama said when she was referring to the tombstone that we saw shown earlier by the minority, which said ``ending Medicare'' on the tombstone. Today in committee, we had an opportunity to vote on an amendment that said we will oppose and vote against any amendment, any bill, any legislation that would end Medicare. Do you know what our colleagues on the Democrat side of the aisle did? They voted ``present.'' They voted ``present,'' refusing to stand up for Medicare because they know, when we ask where their plan is, they don't have one. When we ask them where the jobs are, they don't know. When we ask them for leadership, they run and hide. Why?--because they're voting ``present'' when it comes to saving Medicare.

Mr. GARDNER. I thank the gentlewoman. And what's amazing about the argument, today the President releases the oil from our emergency reserve. Yet yesterday on this very floor, a number of people were arguing that, no, we don't need new expansions in production. We don't need more oil being put online in this country because that won't lower the price of fuel. So yesterday they were saying that more supplies won't reduce the price of fuel, but today they're saying release this strategic petroleum reserve because it will reduce the price of fuel. A very confused argument.

Mr. GARDNER

Mr. GARDNER. I rise in opposition to the gentleman's motion.

Mr. GARDNER. I rise in opposition to this amendment.

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

Mr. GARDNER. I thank the chairman of the subcommittee that brought this bill before the body today, and I thank the chairman, Mr. Upton, for his work on this piece of legislation. Energy security, job creation, working to reduce the pain at the pump, that is what H.R. 2021 is about, the Jobs and Energy Permitting Act of 2011. I thank the chairman for bringing it to the floor today. This is an important bill for our country and a step in the right direction when it comes to weaning ourselves off of foreign, Middle Eastern oil. It allows us to utilize the resources that we have in our own backyard--American energy for American jobs--responsibly and environmentally friendly. Gas prices are fluctuating near historic levels that can send our economy into yet another recession. Millions of Americans are out of work. The unemployment rate has ticked back above 9 percent. Unrest in the Middle East has highlighted our vulnerabilities that stem from dependence on oil half a world away and from many countries that seek to do us harm. In the face of seemingly intractable problems, it is our duty as elected representatives of the people of this country to pursue solutions that benefit our neighbors and our Nation as a whole. One such solution is unlocking America's vast energy potential. The Jobs and Energy Permitting Act is a bipartisan approach--a bipartisan bill-- to bring a massive domestic resource online and create tens of thousands of jobs. I am delighted to have my friend and colleague from Texas (Mr. Gene Green) as the coauthor of this legislation. In this bill, we move in a nimble and elegant manner to tie the loose ends in EPA's permitting process and the Clean Air Act, itself, to expedite decisions on EPA's issued air permits for offshore oil exploration. The needless red tape inherent in EPA's current permitting process has blocked access to a truly enormous reserve, a reserve in our own backyard, Alaska's Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. Taken together, we have been told that upwards of 1 million barrels of oil a day can be brought online as a result of the responsible development of these resources, entirely offsetting our imports from Saudi Arabia. Doing so will create and sustain over 50,000 jobs as massive projects get underway to bring this resource to American consumers. Such a vast amount of oil will not only reduce prices at the pump in the future, as testimony was given before the Energy and Commerce Committee, but keep us more secure by eliminating imports from hostile regimes abroad. For these reasons, the President agrees that we should be moving forward with permitting exploration off Alaska's coast. This bipartisan bill is the most efficient way to get the job done. Through two exhaustive hearings on this bill, we heard testimony from numerous stakeholders and citizens of Alaska. We believe we have created a solution that balances both environmental protection with public priorities, a balance that does not exist with current EPA procedures. During our subcommittee and full committee markups we debated numerous amendments, giving members the opportunity to propose substantive changes to the underlying bill. I'm glad that we had a very serious and thought-provoking discussion on this bill during those meetings, and I look forward to the debate today. The Jobs and Energy Permitting Act is a serious bill with serious implications for our economy and our energy security. I am delighted to be here today working with my Democratic colleague to move forward with an effective solution to regulatory problems experienced in Alaska and Alaska's offshore areas.

Mr. GARDNER. I thank the gentleman from Kentucky. We've heard all kinds of arguments today, red herrings that would make the Fulton Fish Market proud of this debate. This bill is not about jobs, my colleagues on the other side of this debate said. This bill is not about pain at the pump, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle said. This bill won't create jobs, I've heard in the arguments today. That it is a massive excuse for people to do incredible things to the environment, unthought-of things. Again, red herrings that the American people are tired of. The American people are asking for jobs. They are asking for relief at the pump. This bill is nothing more than creating economic opportunity for not only people in Alaska but throughout this country with the creation of 50,000 jobs. When we access our resources, evidently, there are some who believe it doesn't create jobs. When we create 1 million barrels of oil a day coming into our supplies, apparently that doesn't create jobs. When we build operations for our workers in the north shore of Alaska, the supply facilities in the lower 48 States, apparently that doesn't create jobs. Apparently we don't lose jobs when people are beginning to pay nearly $4 a gallon for the price of gas. That seems to be the argument that I hear against this bill. My constituents are paying $3.50, $3.60 for a price per gallon of gas. And apparently, as energy prices increase, some believe that doesn't cut jobs, that doesn't hurt our economy. I have heard time and time again, through testimony before the Energy and Commerce Committee, through town meetings, constituent calls and letters, they are tired of paying $50, $60 every time they fill up the tank with gas. They are tired of paying their hard-earned money for rising gas prices because this Congress has failed to pass energy policies that rein in the bureaucrats and regulators. We have an opportunity with H.R. 2021 to create jobs, to create opportunities for energy security in this country. And I would remind my colleagues that these permits, the rights to explore have already been leased, paid for. I ask that Members support this bill, and I ask for a ``yes'' vote.

Mr. GARDNER

Mr. GARDNER. I thank the gentleman for the recognition. I rise in support of this rule to bring more American energy online. This is a bipartisan bill, H.R. 2021, and it deserves debate on the floor today. Everybody in this Chamber ought to vote for this rule if they care about our gas prices, about our national security, about our energy security, and about job creation. This bill has the potential to create tens of thousands of jobs annually, over $100 billion in payroll over the next 50 years, and 1 million barrels of oil a day. That's nearly enough oil to replace our imports from Saudi Arabia. This bill would reduce our dependence on Middle East oil significantly, and that ought to be our goal. Foreign nations--some of which have serious animosity towards the United States--are in control of the vast majority of oil that we use day in and day out. Is dependency on these foreign countries not one of the biggest threats that our country faces today? It's a scary reality that this bill directly addresses. The energy security bill will streamline the process of offshore permitting. Current impediments have delayed development of the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas for over 5 years. These are areas that have already been approved for drilling. The revenues for the leases have already been collected by the Federal Government, and yet over 5 years drilling is yet to occur. The bill will make a number of minor changes. First, it will clarify that a drilling vessel is stationary when drilling begins and, therefore, should only be regulated as a stationary source at that point. It clarifies that service ships are not stationary sources by the simple virtue of the fact that they do not stop to drill. They are mobile sources regulated, as such, under title II of the Clean Air Act. Third, the bill clarifies that emission impacts are measured onshore, where the public resides. Lastly, the bill eliminates the needless delays, the constant ping- pong between the EPA and the Environmental Appeals Board when it comes to exploration clean air permits. And it requires final agency action to take place in 6 months, to give them an up-or-down approval--denial of proof within 6 months. Alaska holds tremendous potential, and this bipartisan bill achieves great things by allowing a responsible and efficient process to take place.