Bill Johnson

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Chair, on rollcall No. 641, I inadvertently voted ``yes'' on the Rush Amendment, when I intended to vote ``no.'' I had just led a moment of silence from the chair, and in the excitement afterwards pressed the wrong button. Amendment No. 3 Offered by Ms. Eshoo

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Madam Chairman, today I rise in support of H.R. 1938, the North American-Made Energy Security Act. For far too long, the proposed Keystone XL pipeline has been caught up in bureaucratic red tape that unfortunately has become the norm with this administration. This legislation simply forces the administration to make a decision by November 1 of this year, which will be more than 3 years after the application was originally submitted. This bill addresses our Nation's dependence on OPEC for oil, but it also creates American jobs. The pipeline extension would allow for an additional 700,000 barrels of oil per day to be brought to the U.S. marketplace. This increase in oil, from America's largest trading partner, would begin to make America less beholden to unstable OPEC countries for our oil demands. Furthermore, if this pipeline isn't built, the oil will simply go to China instead of coming to America. This legislation would also pave the way for the creation of 13,000 direct jobs and tens of thousands of indirect jobs should the project be approved. I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense legislation.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 2560, the Cut, Cap, and Balance Act. Last November, the American people sent a clear and resounding message to cut up the Nation's credit card and to stop spending money we don't have. Today, we are doing that. This act makes immediate spending cuts and forces the Federal Government to do what Americans all over this country are doing: living within their means. This legislation also begins to cap Federal Government spending at levels that are historically sustainable to ensure vibrant economic growth. Finally, this measure forces the Federal Government to do what to most Americans is simply plain common sense: to spend only the amount of money that you have. A balanced budget amendment is long overdue. Republicans have heard the American people's call to action to reduce spending, and that is why I strongly support this measure. I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of the Cut, Cap, and Balance Act.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. I thank my colleague. We are sitting here today with unemployment over 9 percent and rising, 22 million Americans out of work, and what are we getting? We are getting an administration whose bureaucrats have got a stranglehold on America's energy future. I stood in this Chamber just a couple of months ago when the Prime Minister of Australia addressed a joint session of the House. I know my colleagues will remember that. And the Prime Minister said something that was profound. She related a story. She talked about being a young girl sitting in front of her television and watching Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin land on the moon and thinking to herself, Wow, those Americans can do anything. She went on to give her speech, and she talked about the long relationship between Australia and America and how we have solved many of the world's problems. At the end of her speech, she said, You know something? She said, I am not that young girl any more. I am the Prime Minister of our country, but today I still believe that Americans can do anything. That was profound, and I think for many of us it was like you could hear a pin drop here in the House Chamber because what she said was something that we need to hear from our national leaders, and we are not getting that kind of leadership here in America today. I believe that Americans can do anything. We saw, when President Kennedy decided that we were going to the Moon in 10 years, he mobilized our academic institutions. He engaged our industrial base, our military, our political will, our economic will. Every fabric of our culture was focused on that goal. I remember as a young boy watching the space race shots from school or being sent home because it was like a national holiday. We had a national vision. We saw industries crop up. We saw hundreds of thousands of jobs created. We saw young people going into disciplines that would prepare them for careers in aerospace and astronautics and other disciplines to support our conquest of the space frontier. I am so proud to be a part House Energy Action Team because we are trying to promote that same type of national vision around energy independence and security. I believe if we had a national vision that said, look, over the next 10 years we are drawing a line in the sand starting today, and we are going to establish a goal to be energy secure and energy independent over the next 10 years. And we are going to drill for our own oil; we are going to drill for our own natural gas. We are going to continue to mine coal, and we are going to learn how to use it environmentally soundly and safely. We are going to expand our nuclear footprint. We are going to look at our alternative forms of energy like wind and solar and find out where they fit into our overall energy profile. But what we are not going to do is sit on the sidelines any longer and depend on foreign sources for our energy and put future generations at risk. I believe if we had that kind of vision, we would again see industries crop up. We would see hundreds of thousands of jobs created as a result. And at the end of the day, we would learn how to produce and store and use energy in ways that we have never, ever imagined, because guess what? Americans can do anything. With a national vision around energy independence and security, Americans would be put back to work. I live in a district and represent a district where unemployment rates are popping up well over 10 percent. Some of them 12-plus percent. Ladies and gentlemen, people from my district have lost hope in the American Dream. We need a national vision around energy. That's what this House is promoting. That's what my colleagues and I are striving for. I, too, urge the Senate, take action on these bills. Get America back to work, and let's secure America's energy future. Thank you for letting me have some time.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, the administration's war on coal led the Office of Surface Mining and Reclamation to try and change a rule that would redefine what is considered a stream as it pertains to mining operations. I am pleased than an amendment I offered during the debate over the budget continuing resolution has been included in the Interior appropriations bill in an effort to stop this irresponsible regulatory overreach. No one is surprised that the Obama administration is continuing the war on coal, but this is also a war on jobs. And the coal industry employs thousands of people in eastern and southeastern Ohio. Mr. Speaker, we all want a cleaner environment, but we need to make sure that the policies being enacted are common sense and do not come at the expense of jobs and our economy. Stopping the Obama administration from rewriting the stream buffer zone rule will be a victory for jobs and a defeat to a radical agenda that is seeking to outlaw coal entirely. We can and we must enact smart policies that clean up our environment while protecting American jobs.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Last night, we heard President Obama's plan for withdrawing our troops from Afghanistan. While I share the President's goal of wanting to bring home our brave troops as soon and as safely as possible, I'm concerned that political considerations were given more weight in this decision than military strategy. As a military veteran of 27 years, I understand how important it is to base decisions like this on the guidance of our commanders in the field. Our military commanders are the best military strategists in the world, and they are the ones in a position to know how many and what type of troops they need to do their mission. When the President announced his troop surge, he included the lasting influence of Taliban among his reasons. The Taliban remains allied with al Qaeda, and both terrorist networks would rather see Afghanistan destroyed than lose their influence over the Afghan people. Mr. Speaker, we've learned that fighting our Nation's wars from the Oval Office does not work. Let's make sure our troops come home in victory.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, the economy, the national debt, high gas prices, and the need for jobs, those are still the important issues to the people in my district in southeastern Ohio; but today, I rise to congratulate the Marietta College baseball team for winning their record fifth Division III College World Series title yesterday. Our people have something to cheer about. The Pioneers, led by coach Brian Brewer, won the deciding game in convincing fashion with an 18-5 victory over Chapman University. The 'Etta Express was led defensively by a strong pitching performance from All-American honorable mention pitcher Austin Blaski. Blaski pitched a nearly perfect six innings, allowing only two hits and one earned run. On the offensive side, the Pioneers were led by right-fielder Aaron Hopper, who had four hits, four RBIs, and a stolen base. All-American senior center fielder John Snyder added three hits, two runs scored, and an RBI to end his college career. The Pioneers finished the season with an amazing record of 47 wins and 4 losses on their way to a record fifth national title. Congratulations to the 'Etta Express.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, today I rise in strong support of the Reversing President Obama's Offshore Moratorium Act, which will lift the President's ban on new offshore drilling by requiring the administration to do what my constituents in southeastern and eastern Ohio have been calling for Congress to do: open up for production the areas that contain the most oil and natural gas resources right here in America. The hardworking people of my district have made it abundantly clear that their number one concern is the rising price of gas at the pumps. Over the past week, this side of the aisle has begun to show the American people that we are serious about addressing our energy crisis and that we will not succumb to bringing up bogus proposals that may poll well in the court of public opinion but that will only result in higher gas prices. In 2008, our country was also experiencing record high prices at the pump, and in a logical and commonsense response to those record-high prices, that Congress and that President took action to end a decades- long drilling ban offshore by opening up new areas in the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans for exploration and production. Unfortunately, this administration has reversed the will of the people, and has taken steps to reinstate this moratorium from new lease sales in these offshore areas. Not only has the administration abandoned the plan to go forward with opening up new areas for production, but they have also cancelled previously scheduled lease sales. We are now again faced with rising prices at the pump, and instead of being able to focus on new ways to make America's energy secure, we are forced to bring up legislation that will do again what Congress did 3 years ago. Mr. Speaker, recently, the Secretary of the Interior testified before the Natural Resources Committee. Between his testimony and answers to questions, he made it painfully obvious that this administration does not have a real national energy strategy. Today, with this legislation, we're going to help the Secretary and the administration take a big step toward developing a real energy plan for America. This legislation requires the administration and the Secretary of the Interior to set specific goals on the amount of oil and natural gas production that is estimated from each of the 5-year lease plans contained in this legislation. During my 26-plus-year career in the United States Air Force, we set goals and objectives, and then we set out about working hard to not only meet them but to exceed them. This legislation sets the production goals at a level that is triple the level of America's current production, and it therefore reduces foreign imports by one-third. Once this legislation is adopted, we will send a signal to the world oil markets that America means business when it comes to our energy future. I am fully confident that if we set the bar high, as this legislation does, American drive and ingenuity will rise to the occasion and will exceed this goal. If we're going to become energy secure, Mr. Speaker, we must increase our energy production, not limit it, and we need to commit ourselves to developing our own resources. That is why I strongly support the Reversing President Obama's Offshore Moratorium Act, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Chairman, today we are taking up the Putting the Gulf of Mexico Back to Work Act, which will accomplish two very important goals: create jobs and help lower energy costs. It will end the Obama administration's de facto drilling moratorium in the gulf in a way that is safe, transparent, and responsible. A study from Louisiana State University predicted that keeping this permitorium in place for 18 months could cause the loss of more than 36,000 jobs nationwide. We simply can't afford the Obama administration's job-killing policies. Rather than putting Americans back to work, they're seriously impacting America's energy production. The ``March 2011 Short-Term Energy Outlook'' from the Energy Information Administration noted that production from the Gulf of Mexico is expected to fall by 240,000 barrels per day this year. If we're going to become energy secure, we need to increase our energy production, not limit it; and we need to commit ourselves to developing our own resources. The Putting the Gulf of Mexico Back to Work Act will help do that.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Chairman, I rise today in strong support of the Restarting American Offshore Leasing Now Act. Last night, I held a telephone town hall with hundreds of my constituents. The overwhelming concern was about the high price of gas. Seniors, students, working families and small business owners want to know what we're doing to help lower fuel costs. They want us to stop being dependent on foreign energy and start really developing America's resources. Today, we're doing that. Unfortunately, our colleagues across the aisle believe that raising taxes on oil companies will somehow lower the price of gas. This defies both logic and common sense. Not only would raising taxes ensure job losses in America but it would also result in the increase of America's dependence on foreign sources of oil. Raising taxes on American energy companies would give a competitive advantage to the Russian, Chinese and OPEC countries that are operating without anti-growth, anti-self- sufficient energy policies. Mr. Chairman, my constituents in southeastern and eastern Ohio understand the negative impact that these proposed tax increases would have on gas prices and they oppose these efforts. I strongly encourage all of my colleagues to support the Restarting American Offshore Leasing Now Act that will help put our country on the path to energy security.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, the average for a gallon of gas in Ohio is over $4 a gallon. In eastern and southeast Ohio, this is particularly hard on families who live in rural areas. Farmers, ranchers, seniors, working families who have limited means of transportation--these high gas prices are having a negative impact on everyone. The higher gas prices go, the more of an impact it has on our economy and on our chances for a real economic recovery. Small business owners are watching money they could otherwise invest in their businesses go to paying for fuel, and working families are anxiously redoing their budgets to account for higher fuel costs and looking for ways to cut back. We're blessed with an abundance of natural resources in Ohio. We're one of the highest coal-producing areas, and with the Marcellus shale right next door in West Virginia, we're poised to make an enormous contribution to making America self-sufficient in energy. We need an energy strategy that will help us become energy self-sufficient so we stop relying on other countries to meet our energy needs. Now is the time to levy a ``permatorium'' on developing American energy resources. Let's open up our American resources and put our country on the path to ensuring our energy security, instead of continuing to rely on foreign sources for energy.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, we have a national debt of more than $14.2 trillion, and our unfunded obligations dwarf even that number. Each American taxpayer's share of our national debt is $128,000 and rising. Our Nation is broke. The Federal Government has maxed out its credit card. This House is listening to the American people, and we've put forth multiple plans to try to get our fiscal house in order, but Harry Reid and President Obama are still not listening. The clock is ticking; and because of their inaction, we are hours away from a potential government shutdown. Now, they'll deny that this fiscal crisis has been caused by their failed policies, but Americans are too smart to fall for that. Americans want the tools to grow the economy instead of growing government. So when making spending decisions, we should ask two simple questions in this House: How much does it cost? And who's going to pay for it? If we can't afford it and the American taxpayers are going to foot the bill, gentlemen, ladies, let's vote ``no.''

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, the work ethic of the people of my district gives me great optimism despite the daily reminders that our Nation teeters on the edge of bankruptcy. Individual Americans are rich in spirit, tradition, and innovation; but as a country, we're broke, all because the Federal Government has maxed out its credit card. This House is listening to the American people, and we have passed legislation representing significant spending cuts of historic proportions. But Harry Reid and the President are not listening. Instead, they are threatening to shut down the government. Now they'll try to shift the blame and deny that America's economic problems are the result of their failed policies. I believe America is ready for some tough spending decisions. We must give Americans the tools to grow the economy instead of growing government. I hope my fellow colleagues will join me in asking two questions when any spending bill comes before this House: How much is it going to cost? And who is going to pay for it? And if we can't afford it, and if the American taxpayer is going to foot the bill, we should be voting a resounding ``no.''

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 186, I recall voting on the entire series in this voting session. I was standing with Rep. Renacci (OH-16), and we both voted the entire series. We both used the same voting machine, and he was also flagged as a missed vote. I would have voted ``no.''

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, in my nearly 27 years in the United States Air Force, I learned that one of the most critical elements necessary to overcome a determined enemy is the element of surprise. Based on my experience and the proven battle-tested history of the many successful conflicts that our Nation has endured over the years, I must stand in opposition to House Concurrent Resolution 28. Surprise is a tactical element best determined by field commanders based on battlefield conditions. As such, decisions on troop movements should be made by commanders in the field, not politicians in Washington. Should this bill pass, we give up the element of surprise, we break the trust and relationship we have built with the Afghan people and our allies, and the sacrifice of our young men and women in uniform would be meaningless if we simply walk away. General Petraeus said, ``The Taliban and al Qaeda obviously would trumpet this as a victory, as a success. Needless to say, it would completely undermine everything that our troopers have fought so much for and sacrificed so much for.'' I urge my colleagues to vote ``no.''

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, you have heard it said many times: Energy is jobs. Energy is jobs. We have a wealth of resources in our Nation: oil, natural gas, and coal. Yet we see gas prices rising to unbelievable rates here in America, approaching, in many places, in excess of $4 a gallon. And what are we doing about it? Not very much. We've got a permitting process that is failing America. And we have an opportunity today to show America just how bad that problem is. Later today, I'm going to be introducing a bill called the ROAD to Jobs Act. It stands for regulatory openness, accountability, and disclosure. And we are going to show the American people, through a report that is going to be required from the Council on Environmental Quality, just how flawed that permitting process is, requiring them to show the permits that are in cycle and what the economic implications are of not authorizing permits to go after America's resources.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, yesterday the Government Accountability Office released a report detailing billions of dollars of waste in the Federal Government. Redundant and ineffective programs infect the government like a plague. For too long, Congress has punted on its responsibility to rein in wasteful spending. And when I read this report, I had the same feeling as my constituents did. I hated it. According to the report, there are 15 agencies implementing Federal laws on food safety. There are 80 different programs and numerous agencies that work on economic development, 24 Federal agencies for information technology, and 82 programs dealing with teacher quality across multiple agencies. What is this costing us? Billions. Who's paying for it? You guessed it, the American taxpayer. The American taxpayers' dollars are being wasted by keeping these redundant programs on the books. We should immediately begin looking at ways to eliminate redundancy, stop wasting billions of tax dollars, and allow hardworking Americans to keep more of what they earn.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just want to take this opportunity to remind, the rule was reclarified in a 5-year process that ended back in 2008, and now the current administration wants to reopen that rule and redo it completely in just a matter of months, with no science, no data to support it and no justification. And I would remind my colleague that the only reason, the number one reason for passing this amendment is for the up to 29,000 jobs that it is potentially going to save.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Chairman, my amendment would stop the Department of the Interior's Office of Surface Mining and Reclamation and Enforcement from going forward with a proposed revision to the stream buffer rule that could, according to the Obama administration's own analysis, eliminate up to 29,000 coal industry and industry-related jobs, cut coal mining production by 50 percent, and increase the cost of electricity for families and businesses. In December 2008, OSM issued a clarification of the stream buffer zone rules after a 5-year process that included 40,000 public comments, two proposed rules, and 5,000 pages of environmental analysis from five different agencies. The final rule clarified and codified coal surface mining practices that had been in effect for over 30 years, but an entry in the Federal Registry from June 2009 shows that early in the first days of the Obama administration, the decision was made to reopen the carefully crafted and properly vetted stream buffer zone rule. The proposed sweeping regulatory action would radically alter the definition of a stream as well as how the agency measures material damage outside of the permit area. To date, the agency has provided no studies, no data or support to justify these radical changes. Given the complete lack of justification, analysis, or rationale for these proposed changes, it can be said that this is a political decision and not one based on science or fact, and this flies in the face of the administration's pledge to base rulemaking decisions on science and not on political factors. Furthermore, several States have expressed serious concerns about the need and justification for the proposal. Mr. Chairman, the unemployment rate in my home State of Ohio is 9.6 percent. In parts of eastern and southeastern Ohio that I represent, we have double-digit unemployment. The average unemployment in the 12 counties I represent is 10.9 percent. There are entire communities that depend largely on the coal industry, both for direct and indirect jobs, and these jobs would be threatened by this proposed rules change. To be clear, my amendment does not stop the issuance of permits nor does it prevent OSM, the Army Corps of Engineers, and the EPA from their regulatory responsibilities. My amendment would simply prohibit any funding to be spent on developing, carrying out, or implementing this ill-conceived proposed job-killing rule. I strongly urge my colleagues to support my amendment to stop the Obama administration from going forward with a regulation that will result in thousands of hardworking Americans losing their jobs. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Chairman, I yield such time as he may consume to my colleague, the gentleman from Kentucky (Mr. Rogers).

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of House Resolution 72. For too long, the EPA, the Department of the Interior, and other permitting agencies have held vitally important energy projects hostage to their unreasonable job-killing demands. In eastern and southeastern Ohio, our unemployment rates are among the highest in the State, and we are falling behind the rest of the Nation. But we are blessed with an abundance of natural resources that we could tap into to create thousands of high-paying jobs and economic opportunity, if the government would simply get out of the way. Over the last week, I met with my constituents at three town hall meetings, and there was one message that came through loud and clear: Get the government out of the way so we can get back on the right economic track. Right now, there is a company that wants to invest $6 billion in eastern Ohio for a clean energy project that would turn coal to liquid while capturing 85 percent of all carbon dioxide produced. This project would create at least 2,500 direct jobs that would help revitalize the local economy. But at each and every turn, Federal regulators have moved the goalposts, making it more and more difficult for this project to get off the ground. Mr. Speaker, eastern and southeastern Ohio cannot afford to lose the jobs this project would create. We can't afford for the company to call it quits due to what can only be described as Federal harassment. It is time that the Federal Government gets out of the way so we can unleash our natural resources, both onshore and offshore, to create high-paying jobs and put us on the road to energy independence. We have got to get serious, Mr. Speaker, about our energy future. I encourage my colleagues to support this important resolution.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. That's right. You know, that kind of thinking has never been good for families. It has never been good for businesses, and it certainly is not good for America. We see where that has left us. Your charts point out that we are on the path to a train wreck here. Yet we see policies consistently coming out of the administration and out of the previous Congress that continue to punish the job creators. Take Ohio for example. Since the giant stimulus bill was passed in the previous session of Congress, only three States have lost more jobs than the State I come from, from the great State of Ohio. Unemployment in the district that I represent is another symptom of that disease. We cannot continue down this track of spending and borrowing and punishing job creators and expect America to pull through this economic crisis that we find ourselves in.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. I will just sum up with this, because I think you have hit the nail on the head. We can cure this disease. It's called stopping the out-of-control spending. And at every opportunity, we should seek ways to allow American families and American businesses to keep more of their hard-earned money. That's going to result in economic confidence. That's going to result in investment. That's going to result in increased consumer confidence, and it's going to increase and create jobs, and we know that. I urge my colleagues--I thank you for this time, and I urge my colleagues to join with me in supporting the legislation and those policies that are going to accomplish those goals: cutting the spending, letting Americans keep more of their hard-earned money, and ultimately creating jobs and putting America back to work. And I want to thank you for the opportunity today.

Mr. JOHNSON of Ohio. I wanted to comment on what you said and what the gentleman here said about what makes America great. When people stop to consider that this little sapling of a Nation in terms of age, 230-plus years old, virtually--and we're a baby compared to many of the other nations in the world--yet every modern convenience, virtually every modern convenience known to mankind was birthed right here in this country. And why was that? It was because of that system of free enterprise based on individual freedom. The ability to pursue our dreams, the ability to innovate that created this free enterprise system that we've come to know. It did not come about in the Halls of Congress. It was not discovered in the deliberation rooms of courtrooms. It was discovered around the campfires and around the dining room tables, the kitchen tables, the fields, the factories. As America came along, we learned when individuals are allowed to pursue their dreams in an environment of freedom without an oppressive Federal Government taxing them into oblivion, everybody wins. America wins, our allies win, everybody wins.