Pete Olson

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table Senate Concurrent Resolution 63 and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table Senate Concurrent Resolution 64 and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to express the sorrow I feel about the tragedy that happened in Newtown, Connecticut, last Friday. I have a personal connection with Newtown. After being transferred from Texas, my parents were sent to Connecticut, to the corporate headquarters of my father's company. They bought a home in Newtown. My brother graduated from Newtown High School. I would go to Newtown for the holidays. I have driven past Sandy Hook Elementary School--the place where 20 innocent children and six adults were killed by a madman. As a parent, I cannot imagine the pain the families who lost a child are feeling. From my brief time in Newtown, I saw that it was a true community with strong people. They will go forward, but they need our thoughts, our prayers, and our love. May God bless them and help them find peace.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I send to the desk a resolution and ask unanimous consent for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. I want to thank my colleague from Georgia for taking a leadership role and hosting this Special Order to thank our friend, Jay Pierson, for 34 years of service to the House. In a prior life, I was a United States naval aviator. In that job, I needed a wingman, someone who is right behind you protecting you from threats you can't see. A wingman is always checking your ``six,'' the spot directly behind. His job is not about him, it's about making sure I complete my mission. For the 4 years I've been in Congress, my wingman on the floor has been Jay Pierson. It started out with simple jobs, like showing me where the restrooms were. It grew to much more important jobs, like advising me on floor procedure and giving me accurate information about the floor schedule so my wife and kids would know when Daddy was coming home. I realized what a great wingman Jay was about 2 weeks ago. I stood right here on this floor paying tribute to a fellow Texan, Ralph Hall. I was flying solo without my wingman, Jay Pierson. I had this poster with me, and six others, notice the yellow post-it note on it that said ``Olson.'' Every poster I had has a yellow post-it on it that said ``Olson.'' Without my wingman, I took off with a flawed presentation. I didn't crash and burn over the post-it notes, but I got some flack from my staff for my ineptitude. In 2013, I'll be flying solo without Jay. I'll miss my wingman. But I'm thankful for the 4 years I've had with him. As we say in the Navy, Jay, Bravo Zulu, well done. May you and your family have fair winds and following seas.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise to honor the legendary mayor of Richmond, Texas, Hilmar Moore. Mayor Moore passed away last week after 63 years as Richmond's mayor. He was a true Texan, a straight shooter who loved his family, good conversations, quail hunting, ranching, and Texas Longhorn football. The last time I talked with Mayor Moore was Richmond's 175th anniversary. My speech was interrupted by trains rolling by. The trains did not dare to interrupt Mayor Moore. I asked him, ``How can I do that?'' He said, ``Give it time. Give it time.'' Hilmar Moore gave Richmond time, the time of his life.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to introduce the American people to Kevin Kline. Kevin is a friend and a popular DJ back home on the 93Q Morning Zoo. But Kevin is more than a voice on the radio. He is the man of the year according to the Fort Bend Focus Magazine. He earned that honor because of the Snowdrop Foundation, an organization he and his wife, Trish, created to help children fighting life-threatening cancer. Kevin's inspiration was a remarkable young lady, Chelsey Campbell. Chelsey lost her battle with cancer on December 9, 2006. She was 16 years old. Kevin was a pallbearer at her funeral. Kevin is always looking for an outlet to tell Chelsey's story and keep her memory alive. If Kevin were here, I'd thank him for sharing Chelsey's story with me so I could enshrine her life forever in the Congressional Record of the United States of America. Because of Kevin, we all look forward to meeting Chelsey in heaven.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. I thank my colleague and fellow Texan for giving me a couple of minutes to talk about Ralph Hall, a man we all know, a man we all love. My comments are going to focus on some of the amazing events that have occurred during Ralph Hall's life and brought him to this record- setting vote he cast earlier this evening. God had a plan for Ralph, some might call it fate--fate, which is appropriate, because Ralph's journey to get here started in Fate, Texas, population 299. Ralph was born there on May 3, 1923. Fate ensured that Ralph would have amazing brushes with history. One amazing brush with history Ralph had occurred as a young teenager pumping gas in Rockwall, Texas. Ralph filled up a car of a young couple, a man and a woman, very well dressed, heading east. Ralph got a great tip--a quarter. In those days that was a lot of money. He went into the service station to tell the boss what had happened, about the tip. He glanced at the newspaper, and he froze. He had just filled up a car, the two occupants of which were the pictures of two people on the newspaper, the front page. These two people were Bonnie and Clyde, the notorious gangsters who met their demise shortly after leaving Rockwall, Texas. Ralph pumped gas for Bonnie and Clyde. But Ralph has not just had amazing brushes with history, like Bonnie and Clyde. He's made history. As a county judge, a State legislator, a United States Congressman, Ralph made our country stronger and made the world better. I have had the honor and privilege to work with Chairman Hall for nearly 4 years to ensure America retains its dominance in human space flight. When the Obama administration's ill-conceived budget of 2010 threatened to lose that dominance, Ralph used every tool in the toolbox of life that he had accumulated in public service to give him the tools to win the battle. Here are a couple of those tools: Neil Armstrong; General Tom Stafford, who was here earlier today; and Gene Cernan. Ralph built a bipartisan coalition and saved the Orion crew capsule and put the United States on a path to go beyond low Earth orbit. As a boy who grew up a mile and a half from the Johnson Space Center, I have seen Ralph Hall make history and put our country on a course where my kids, your kids, our grandkids can see an American walking on another celestial body. Ralph, thank you for the impact you've had on my life and my family's life. We've all talked about the chairman going parachute jumping earlier this year. I thank you for that, Mr. Chairman. Because you did that, my 15-year-old daughter came up to me and said, Dad, let's jump out of a plane when I turn 18. Thank you. Thank you for that, Mr. Chairman. You've made a difference in my life. You've made a difference in the world. We love you. We thank you.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my fears about the events occurring in southern Israel and Gaza. Last Saturday, Hamas- affiliated militias began firing rockets from Gaza into Israel. These attacks, directed at Israeli civilians, are acts of war. Israel has every right and a solemn duty to protect her citizens. The rocket attacks have continued all week, and yesterday, three Israeli civilians were killed in an attack on Kiryat Malakhi. Regrettably, Israel was forced to take a necessary and appropriate step in defending her citizens by launching an offensive against Palestinian militants in Gaza. During the attacks, Israeli defense forces killed the military commander of Hamas in an air strike. Israel has clearly told those who kill the innocent that Israel will use whatever force necessary to protect her citizens. Mr. Speaker, the people of Israel live in constant fear of rocket attacks from Gaza. In 2009, I visited the Israeli village of Sderot that borders on Gaza. I'll never forget talking to an Israeli mother who is always within arm's reach of her young children. Any time the air raid sirens scream a warning of an incoming barrage of rockets, she must be ready to grab her children and take cover in the family's bomb shelter. This has to be done within seconds or her family may be killed. Mr. Speaker, the United States must continue to fully support Israel's right to defend herself against the constant threat of terrorist attacks by Hamas from Gaza. This is also a critically important moment for Egypt to step up as a responsible mediator to end the violence. The new Egyptian government has a chance to show its acceptance of the 1979 peace treaty. It is their choice, but whatever they decide, America will stand firmly beside our ally Israel.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I want to share a plea from home, from Tony, about the impending fiscal cliff. Tony writes: We are going to have to go over the fiscal cliff and see the economy crumble before the majority of the people realize how much trouble we are really in. I have end-stage renal failure, am on Medicare, and receive disability each month. I do dialysis three times a week. That said, I will willingly and gladly take a reduction in my benefits if it means we can reduce our deficit. I have two young nieces, and I am looking out for their financial future. In fact, if I knew that taking away all my benefits would get rid of our debt, I would do that today. Mr. President, hear Tony's plea. Don't take us over the fiscal cliff. Tony and his nieces need you to lead. They need it now.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor a true American hero, Neil Armstrong, a space pioneer who profoundly influenced world history. I can still remember wearing my most prized possession, a blue Fly Me to the Moon T-shirt with the Apollo 11 mission insignia on it. I remember the feeling of seeing those grainy images of Neil on the Sea of Tranquility and, as he put his left foot down on lunar soil, his famous ``One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.'' That historical moment changed America forever, and the world changed with us. And Neil Armstrong's quiet heroism helped catapult America to be the global leader. His legacy of American exceptionalism inspired generations of young people to take up science and space exploration. In the 43 years since his Moon mission, Armstrong believed deeply that America should continue to explore new worlds. Upon learning the Obama administration had canceled NASA's plans to return to the Moon, Neil Armstrong, a very private man, became a vocal critic of this failure and the willingness to allow other nations to surpass America's space leadership. The state of NASA's human space exploration plans, he told Congress last fall, is ``lamentably embarrassing and unacceptable.'' One of the highlights of my life will always be shaking the hand of my childhood hero. Neil and I were united in our opposition to President Obama's plan to cancel the Constellation program and diminish the priority of human spaceflight in his 2010 budget and National Space Policy documents. It was humbling to work with Mr. Armstrong and several other Apollo astronauts like Gene Cernan and Jim Lovell to fight to restore a strong NASA budget and develop a comprehensive human space exploration program worthy of America's greatness as explorers. America needs a clear and purposeful mission worthy of our Nation's continued investment to regain our leading role and remain the dominant human space country in the world. Our Nation suffers a great loss with Neil Armstrong's passing, but his courage and commitment to greatness live on in the next generation of explorers to come. For the rest of my time on this planet, I will continue to honor his contributions to American exceptionalism and his legacy by pushing for a strong human space exploration program that will take America to the Moon, to Mars, and beyond. My thoughts and prayers are with Neil Armstrong's family and the entire NASA family as we cope with this tremendous loss. America mourns with you as we remember Neil's amazing journey. Neil's philosophy about life is captured best by advice given by one of Neil's Moon-walking brothers, Gene Cernan, when he spoke to a group of students at Sartartia Middle School in my hometown of Sugar Land, Texas. Gene told the kids, ``Always shoot for the Moon, because if you miss, you'll see the stars.'' Neil Armstrong gave us the Moon so we can look to the heavens and see the stars. Thank you, Neil. God bless.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the city of Richmond, Texas, for its 175th anniversary. There would not be a State of Texas without Richmond. In 1822, members of Stephen F. Austin's Old Three Hundred built a fort on a bend in the Brazos River. Stephen F. Austin is known as the ``Father of Texas.'' He built his colony around that fort where Richmond sits today. In the wake of Texas independence, Richmond was incorporated by the Republic of Texas as Fort Bend County's seat of government in 1837. Richmond's current iconic mayor, Hilmar Moore, is the longest-serving mayor in American history, serving the people of Richmond since 1949. Historically a center of commerce, the heart of an early livestock industry and a powerhouse of natural resources, the city continues to be something its people are darn proud of. It's an honor to share that pride with the people of Richmond, Texas. Congratulations on our 175th anniversary.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4273, Resolving Environmental and Grid Reliability Conflicts Act of 2012. My colleagues and I carefully drafted this bill to resolve a conflict between the Federal Power Act and environmental laws and regulations that, if left unresolved, could create serious problems for the reliability of our Nation's electric grid. Every year, as the heat of summer settles in across our country and demand surges for electricity, the potential for dangerous power outages grows. Some States, such as California, and my home State of Texas, are being warned by electricity regulators that reserve margins could dip dangerously low. Texas is expected to have a 2,500 megawatt shortfall in generating capacity--equivalent to five large power plants--as early as 2014. This shortfall could cause rolling blackouts across Texas that have the potential to impact more than 25 million people. As we've seen happen before in our country, and as we are watching it unfold in India this week, an unexpected loss of power can result in significant harm to human health and the environment. Prior experience shows that in rare and limited circumstances, emergency actions are needed to ensure the reliable delivery of electricity. In these circumstances, the Department of Energy has a tool of last resort to address the emergency. That tool is an emergency order issued under section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act. DOE can order a power plant to generate electricity when outages occur due to weather events, equipment failures, or when the electricity supply is too low and could cause a blackout. As they should, DOE can force a company to comply with a 202(c) order even if it means a technical violation of environmental law. Unfortunately, under current law, a company or individual can be held liable for this technical violation even when they are acting under a Federal order to avoid a blackout. In recent years, these conflicting Federal laws have resulted in lawsuits and heavy fines for electricity providers who were complying with DOE orders. A power generator in San Francisco had to pay a significant sum as a settlement after they were ordered by DOE to exceed their emissions limits to avoid a blackout. Unless Congress passes legislation to resolve the potential conflict of laws, the effectiveness of this tool is in jeopardy. As testimony this year before the House Energy and Commerce Committee confirms, the next time DOE invokes 202(c), the power generator may choose to fight the order in court if it conflicts with an environmental law. Conflicting Federal laws put a power generator in a no-win situation--either sue DOE to comply with environmental laws or be sued by third parties for compliance with DOE orders. H.R. 4273 eliminates the legal conflict facing power generators and their customers by providing a needed safety valve, which clarifies that compliance with an emergency order under section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act may not be considered a violation of any Federal, State, or local environmental law or regulation. Emergency orders are not issued lightly and only under extreme power reliability scenarios. In the last 30 years, this authority has only been used six times. But when the need arises, my legislation will ensure that DOE works to minimize any adverse environmental impacts, meaning they must balance environmental interests with reliability needs. While I believe DOE may need to use its emergency authority more often in the future given the strain EPA's new power sector rules will put on the electric grid, I still expect DOE emergency authority orders to be the exception, not the rule. In those rare instances when the authority is invoked, we should not punish generators that are simply following orders from the Federal Government. That's why we must amend the Federal Power Act so that generators are not forced to choose between compliance with an emergency order and environmental regulations. This conflict is why I introduced this bipartisan legislation to allow America's power companies to comply with Federal orders to maintain grid reliability during a power emergency without facing lawsuits or penalties. I am extremely pleased with the bipartisan support this bill has received. This is proof that we can find common ground when working to address a critical glitch in Federal law and provide reliable energy supply to all Americans. I want to thank committee Chairman Fred Upton, Ranking Member Henry Waxman, and Subcommittee Chairman Ed Whitfield and Ranking Member Bobby Rush for their support and assistance in moving this bill forward. I also want to thank my colleagues on the committee, Gene Green and Mike Doyle, for working with me to fix this problem and to keep power running for all Americans in an emergency. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense, bipartisan legislation that protects energy consumers, the environment, and those who provide the power. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, in closing, H.R. 4273 is a bipartisan, commonsense piece of legislation that ensures that during a power crisis, the lights will come on when it's dark, the heat will come on when it's cold, and the air conditioning will come on when it's hot. And lives will be saved. I urge my colleagues to vote for H.R. 4273, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous materials in the Record on H.R. 4273.

Mr. OLSON. I thank my colleague from Pennsylvania for his kind words. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I see no colleagues on my side of the aisle looking to speak, so I will reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time to close.

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4273) to clarify that compliance with an emergency order under section 202(c) of the Federal Power Act may not be considered a violation of any Federal, State, or local environmental law or regulation, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 452 on H.R. 4155 I am not recorded because I was absent due to a weather delay. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 453 on H.R. 4367, I am not recorded because I was absent due to a weather delay. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, on rollcall No. 454 on H.R. 5892, I am not recorded because I was absent due to a weather delay. Had I been present, I would have voted ``aye.''

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Rice University's centennial. One hundred years ago, in Houston, Texas, the Rice Institute opened its doors to 48 male and 29 female students. Since that time, it has grown to be one of the most respected universities in all of the world. World history has been made on Rice's campus. As all Texans know, in September of 1962, President John F. Kennedy stood in Rice stadium and committed a Nation, founded by explorers, to the greatest exploration in human history--a Moon landing. Space City USA was born at Rice. I am a proud alumnus of Rice University, class of 1985, Jones College. What gives Rice such a special place in my heart is an uncommon feeling--a feeling of family and home--that transcends my 4 years on campus. It's a feeling you can see in this picture of my son, Grant, and me on campus this year. Happy centennial, Rice. I can't wait for the next 100 years. Go Owls!

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6079, a bill to fully repeal ObamaCare. The Supreme Court rightly declared the individual mandate unconstitutional under the Commerce Clause but, unfortunately, allowed it to continue as a tax--a tax. But the Supreme Court does not have the final say. The American people do at the ballot box in November. And the House has our say today. Taxpayers face tight budgets and a weak economy. With the largest tax increase in American history happening on January 1 of next year, while the President plays political games, the last thing our taxpayers need is another tax, especially one that inserts the Federal Government between patients and their doctors. We must repeal this intrusive law and replace it with thoughtful legislation that protects all Americans' access to quality care from the doctor they choose at a price they can afford. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues today to join me in taking the next step to repeal ObamaCare.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. I rise in support of my good friend Mr. McKinley in his efforts to include the Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act in the final transportation authorization bill. EPA's goal of issuing new Federal rules to regulate coal combustion residuals would have far-reaching and negative impacts on our economy. These EPA rules would severely hamper American energy production, thereby risking our Nation's ability to meet the electricity generation we need to grow our economy and to get our country back on track working again. President Obama wants to eliminate coal as a source of energy for America. This should come as no surprise to those who listened to President Obama's comments when he was a candidate for office. He spoke from his heart in San Francisco in 2008. Here is a summary of what he said: Let me sort of describe my overall policy. What I've said is that we would put a cap-and-trade system in place that is as aggressive, if not more aggressive, than anybody else's out there. He later said: So, if somebody wants to build a coal-powered plant, they can. It's just that it will bankrupt them because they're going to be charged a huge sum for all that greenhouse gas that's being emitted. We need common sense at the EPA, and we need a President who understands that an all-of-the-above strategy includes American coal. That is why I am supporting Mr. McKinley's Coal Residuals Reuse and Management Act in the final transportation authorization bill, and I urge my colleagues to vote for Mr. McKinley's motion to instruct conferees.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize Staff Sergeant Mitchell Corbin of the Texas Air National Guard for his immense bravery and heroism. After Houston, Texas resident Marie Decker's car crashed and flipped on its side on Beltway 8, Corbin saved her life by pulling her out of the vehicle moments before it caught on fire. Corbin put his own safety in jeopardy to help a stranger. He is a true hero. When Decker's vehicle crashed, Corbin, who was traveling with a friend, pulled over to help. After multiple attempts to get Decker out of the car, Corbin used a fire extinguisher that a bystander brought to the scene to break the passenger window. He then pulled Decker to safety moments before the vehicle burst into flames. Corbin joined the Texas Air National Guard in 2005 and is a technician for the 147th Reconnaissance Wing, located at Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base in Houston. Using his military skills, Corbin provided first aid to Decker and made sure she was safe until paramedics arrived. Decker suffered a concussion and a broken heel in the crash, but her life was saved because of Corbin. Staff Sergeant Mitchell Corbin exhibited true military bravery on behalf of a stranger. His actions are a tremendous source of pride for our community and our nation. On behalf of the 22nd Congressional District of Texas, I thank him for his incredible valor.