Pete Olson

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. One last chart to close. And this is a plea to our President. This is a pitch for the Trans Alaska Pipeline. Unlike the Keystone XL pipeline, because of the difficulty building a pipeline in the ground, it's been built above the ground. And these are caribou, wild caribou that are hovering around the pipeline. Mr. President, it's time to stop coddling the Hollywood elites and the radical environmental groups. It's time to listen to the American people. And the caribou enjoy the warmth of the Trans Alaska Pipeline, because if these caribou could speak, they would say respectfully, Mr. President, drill, baby, drill.

Mr. OLSON. Yes, sir. And I thank my colleague again for his leadership in getting this bill through the House. Unfortunately, it's a jobs bill. That means it's over there sitting in the majority leader's inbox over on the other side of the Hill. But also, tying this into the Trans Alaska Pipeline--I understand that the development plan also includes the construction of four offshore production platforms, offshore pipelines that go across the National Petroleum Reserve to Alaska and link it to the Trans Alaska system. So that oil that's in the Beaufort Sea, the Chukchi Sea is actually going to go on the Trans Alaska Pipeline, build up the mass flowing through there, and give that the heat, the integrity it needs to use it for another 10 years. Is that true?

Mr. OLSON. If my friend from Pennsylvania would stay a minute longer, would you talk a little bit about the Marcellus Shale plate and how it has impacted your State?

Mr. OLSON. I will just follow up on my friend's comments: So 1 million barrels a day is the estimate, 50,000 jobs? Basically if we do the Keystone XL pipeline, we would get rid of Venezuela. This would get rid of Saudi Arabia?

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. I thank my colleague from Colorado and my brother on the Energy and Commerce Committee. They say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I've got the same chart that you have. I want to focus my discussion tonight on national security. I want to make sure that the American public understands the truth. I mean, there's been many, many, many misstatements from the administration about the safety, national security implications, jobs of the Keystone XL pipeline. While every American can have their own opinion, no American can have their own version of the facts. That's why we're here tonight, to give the American people the facts. This is the Keystone pipeline, as my colleague alluded to. There are actually two Keystone pipelines. The first one, the little orange line here, that's the Keystone pipeline, the plain Keystone pipeline. Actually, oil is flowing through that pipeline right now, the Steel City, Kansas-Nebraska border into St. Louis and into Patoka, Illinois. That is happening right now as we speak today. The thing that's been controversial is the dotted line, the Keystone XL pipeline, which follows a similar path, ends up in the Gulf States, in my home area of Houston, Texas, the Port of Houston, and the Port of Beaumont and the Port of Port Arthur. The real problem, as I follow my colleagues, I want to point out three points: Little slivers right there, no one knows what it is. It's just an imaginary line. Those two cross these points. Those pipelines cross from Canada into the United States. That's the only reason why the State Department is involved in this process. Some imaginary line between our two countries, and the State Department has the approval authority. Again, I talked about the two ports down there in the gulf coast in Texas. Those refineries on those ports are the safest, most advanced, most efficient refineries in the entire world. That oil will be processed quickly, efficiently, in an environmentally friendly manner. We've just got to get it there. This part right here, the State of Nebraska is the problem. I will go into that a little bit further. As the American people can see, this is a map of the central part of the United States where the Keystone pipeline comes through; and just to get you oriented here, the yellow line that's hard to see, that's the Keystone pipeline, the one that's existing right now, the one that actually oil is flowing to Illinois as we speak. The dark green line here is a proposed path for the Keystone XL pipeline. And the reason the administration has given for not approving this pipeline is because of this big pink area, and that's the Ogallala Aquifer that runs through most of Nebraska and, as you can see, goes into my home State of Texas. All of these other lines here, all of these little arteries, all of these little spinoffs, these dark lines, you know what those are? Those are pipelines, pipelines that go in all through that aquifer. The Keystone XL pipeline is designed to be the safest pipeline in the entire world, much safer than all of these other pipelines that may have been there for 50 years. The Keystone XL pipeline is going to be put in deeper so it doesn't have the risk of some of the things most pipelines have where the integrity gets compromised because somebody on the surface drills into it. They're putting the pipeline down deeper to avoid that. It's got all of these modern systems that monitor the pipeline's status at a fixed interval so if there is some sort of problem on it, it will shut down almost automatically and prevent further spills into the Nebraska aquifer. All of these pipelines are there. Keystone is the safest one, and yet the administration didn't approve it. We all know the numbers: 20,000 shovel-ready jobs right now; 830,000 barrels of oil flowing a day down the port in the southeast Texas ports; energy security, national security. Now I'm going to turn to focus a little bit on national security. As the American people know, the Middle East is as unstable as it has been in most of our lifetime. Egypt, Libya, Tunisia all have new governments. Syria is on the verge of collapse; Yemen, as well. On top of all of that, we have Iran. Iran that is actively pursuing a nuclear weapon. The world seems to be growing in its appreciation of the threat that a nuclear power in Iran has to our whole world security. We in Congress here passed a bill imposing sanctions on the Iran national bank. The European Union passed sanctions on Iran just this past week preventing them from purchasing any oil from Iran. But the Iranians responded in just the way we thought--with lots of swagger, with lots of bravado. What'd they do? They talked about shutting down the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranians shut down this waterway. This choke point is a very real threat to our world's economic stability and growth. I may be the only Member of Congress who has flown missions as a pilot in the United States Navy, as a naval aviator, through the Strait of Hormuz. It's narrow. It's about 25 miles at its narrowest point. In my hometown, that's basically the distance between Houston and Galveston. It's shallow, 200 feet. A football field is longer than the Strait of Hormuz is deep. As you can see, the sea links, where the tankers all cruise through, are very close to Iran. They're not out in the middle of the strait. This little island over here, Abu Musa, is an Iranian island, so all of the traffic going through that strait has to pass basically through Iran on one side and Iran on the other side. I'm not worried about my Navy having access through those straits. They can handle any situation the Iranians throw up. What I fear and am concerned about is all the tanker traffic that is currently going through those straits. Thirty percent of the world's oil goes through those straits to Europe, to our country, to Asia. If those straits are shut down for any given period of time, our world will go into an economic collapse. We've seen this in the past. When I was a young man and started driving in the late seventies--16 years old--it was this country, again, that was the problem. The Shah of Iran fell. The Mullahs, who are in power right now, took over. We supported the Shah, and all the Arab nations involved in OPEC put an embargo on the United States. Overnight, we lost all this oil flowing through the strait. What happened? My colleague from Colorado talked about gas prices going up. They doubled in about a week's period. I mean, I remember because my job as the new guy with a license--and I loved doing it because I was driving, man--was to get in the car and go down. It depended on what the last digit was on your license plate. If it were an odd or even day, you could go get in the gas line. On some days it was 30 minutes, and on some days an hour and a half. But my job was to get in that line and sit there and wait until I got up there and could pump gas in the car. Again, gas prices went from 25 cents a gallon, which we can't imagine today, to 50 cents overnight. If those straits were to shut down tomorrow with gas prices going up as they are right now, which is approaching $4 all the way across the country, we could see almost $10 a gallon overnight--$10 a gallon. So we can't diminish this threat that the straits will shut down. How do we fix this? How do we address it? It's simple. We develop energy sources right here in North America. The administration and State Department have proven in the past that they will approve a pipeline based on the considerations I talked about. Let me give you an example of that. There are lots of pipelines coming from Canada to our country. Just to get the listeners oriented again, the dark blue line here is the Keystone XL pipeline. Well, actually, the dotted line is the Keystone XL coming down here. The blue line is the Keystone XL pipeline. The pipeline I want to talk about is the Alberta Clipper pipeline. The Alberta Clipper pipeline is the yellow one coming here, right here to the point there, which I believe is Lake Superior, but it's right there in the northern part of Minnesota. When that was approved a couple of years ago, here is what the State Department said. This is their Record of Decision and National Interest Determination: The Department of State has determined, through a review of the Alberta Clipper project application, that the Alberta Clipper project would serve the national interests in a time of considerable political tension in other major oil-producing regions and countries by providing additional access to an approximate, stable, secure supply of crude oil with minimum transportation requirements from a reliable ally and trading partner of the United States with which we have free trade agreements and further augments the security of this energy supply. If that were true 3 years ago for this pipeline, isn't it more true today for the Keystone XL pipeline? Why doesn't the President approve the pipeline immediately and give our country energy security and more national security? I know why the President did it. It's very clear. I mean, when it first started coming out, all the wings of the administration were saying, Well, we can't make a decision until sometime in 2013. The American people know what happens between now and 2013. There is a Presidential election. The American people need a leader. They need someone who will step up and do what's right for the country and do what's right for our security. I would like to close by using a quote from the Father of the United States Navy--my Navy--Admiral John Paul Jones. He was in a battle with the British ship Superior, with more speed, more guns. His ship was getting blown up pretty good. The British captain, the guy with those little megaphones, yelled over to Admiral John Paul Jones and asked, ``Sir, will you surrender?'' Admiral John Paul Jones said those immortal words that every sailor knows. He yelled back, ``Sir, I have not yet begun to fight.'' The American people should know that House Republicans have not yet begun to fight for the Keystone XL pipeline.

Mr. OLSON. No, sir.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, over the past 50 years, engineers, scientists, and clinicians have made amazing advances in the design and implementation of artificial organs. However, despite these advances, the gap between the number of patients waiting for an organ transplant and the number of available organs is widening. The next great medical breakthrough will come from tissue engineering where organs are grown in a laboratory, in some cases with the patient's own cells, and then implanted. My wife, Nancy, and I recently visited Texas Children's Hospital, one of the amazing institutions in the Texas Medical Center. By bringing scientists and engineers together who are developing tissue-engineered solutions with pediatric-focused clinicians, they spur more pediatric- focused research. Nancy and I are proud of the innovative work being done at Texas Children's Hospital. We saw firsthand that Texas Children's Hospital is leading the way on the most important component of this research--pediatric tissue engineering, new organs for kids. Leaders lead, and Texas Children's is leading the way.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, while the President campaigns on his ``we can't wait'' slogan, American workers are still asking, ``Where are the jobs?'' The President knows that 20,000 true shovel-ready American jobs can be created by approving construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. Why is he rejecting 20,000 American jobs? Why is he not reducing our dependence upon Middle Eastern sources of oil? Why is he not increasing our energy security, which increases our national security? Why isn't he taking our debt crisis seriously by increasing revenue from taxpayers with American jobs? Why is he not listening to the American people? Mr. Speaker, the American people deserve better from their President. He should focus on the 20,000 new jobs he could help create--not the one he wants to keep.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Madam Speaker, last week, seven former Planned Parenthood employees wrote a joint letter to the Energy and Commerce Committee detailing the facts that many of my colleagues and I have long believed to be true. Planned Parenthood is grossly misusing taxpayer funds. These former employees revealed that clinic staff failed to properly follow correct billing procedures to prevent Federal tax dollars from being used to fund abortion services as demanded by law. They outlined other horrific violations, including failure to properly notify parents when a vulnerable young girl may have been a victim of rape and is seeking an abortion. These former employees also wrote that abortion is indeed offered as a means of family planning, in blatant violation of Federal law. For years, we feared that Planned Parenthood was engaged in several of these abuses, and now we have the inside information from brave folks who have confirmed these fears. In an effort to shed light on how much taxpayer money is at stake and to keep a promise I made to the people of Texas 22 when I was first elected, I requested a GAO report to give the public a full accounting of exactly how much Federal money is sent to organizations that perform abortions each year. We learned that over a 7-year period, the taxpayer price tag to these organizations is almost $1 billion. And last week I was further sickened to learn that, according to the former Planned Parenthood employees, between Federal and State contributions, Planned Parenthood alone receives roughly $1 million per day of taxpayer funds. And yet they're accountable to no one, including the taxpayers who morally oppose these funds being used to end an innocent life. I thank my Energy and Commerce colleague, Subcommittee Chairman Cliff Stearns, for launching an investigation into this matter. And I'm confident that the full committee will do a thorough audit of this corrupt organization. An investigation is sorely overdue. Madam Speaker, behind me is a picture of one of the largest Planned Parenthood clinics ever built. Tragically, it's located right outside of the district I represent in Houston, Texas. It's surrounded by four low-income minority neighborhoods, Planned Parenthood's target audience. This massive building has an entire floor dedicated to abortion services and rumored late-term abortions. And because of the seven former Planned Parenthood employees, we know doctors and clinic employees have illegally encouraged young girls to abort an unborn child as a means of family planning, all on the taxpayer dime. Americans should be outraged to learn of this horrific and possibly illegal use of their tax dollars. Planned Parenthood must be held accountable. I will continue to fight to cut off every single tax dollar that Planned Parenthood and similar organizations receive. We can never tire. We can never rest in our moral obligation to protection our Nation's unborn children. Federal tax dollars are legally prohibited from being used for abortions. Under our Constitution, the Obama administration has a duty to enforce these laws. Under the same Constitution, the Congress has a duty to ensure that the executive branch follows the law of the land. I applaud those Americans who bravely raise their voices on behalf of innocent children who don't have one and maybe never will.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. I thank the chairman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, at a time when our economy is struggling to recover, it's stunning to think that my friends on the other side of the aisle would deny an opportunity to reduce our reliance on Middle Eastern oil and create thousands of American jobs. The Keystone XL pipeline does both. The project has been exhaustively studied and revised to ensure its safety. Our economy needs a safe, reliable source of energy. Canada can provide it, and it wants to provide it to help us reduce our reliance on Middle East oil while strengthening our national security. Twenty thousand new American jobs will be created to build this pipeline. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to pass this bill. Approve the Keystone XL pipeline now.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. I thank the chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the ranking member for the opportunity to speak here tonight on H.R. 1905. Mr. Speaker, I rise tonight in strong support of H.R. 1905, the Iran Threat Reduction Act. While Iranian leadership continues to give public assurances that their nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, their words don't match their actions. A recent International Atomic Energy Agency report makes it clear that Iran is developing advanced delivery systems for nuclear weapons. Mr. Speaker, the only reason why Iran would develop advanced delivery systems is to have the means to deliver a nuclear bomb on peaceful neighbors like Israel. This outcome is unacceptable, and the United States must continue to enact tougher sanctions to ensure that this never happens. H.R. 1905 will add new sanctions targeting the Central Bank of Iran, making it difficult for foreign companies to do business with Iran. H.R. 1905 will also increase sanctions on members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. Mr. Speaker, the biggest threat to world peace is the religious fanatics in Iran having a nuclear bomb. Iran's acquisition of nuclear weapons simply cannot happen. Not on our watch. I implore my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation which will force Iran to abandon its quest for nuclear weapons.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to congratulate San Jacinto College on its fiftieth anniversary. For fifty years, San Jacinto College has provided high quality education to the citizens and communities of East Harris County, Texas. Congratulations to San Jacinto College for a wonderful half-century of empowering students to achieve their goals. San Jacinto College first opened its doors on Sept. 18, 1961, in a downtown Pasadena storefront, with an initial enrollment of 700 students. Thanks to their passion for helping students succeed, the college has grown to serve more than 30,000 students in 140 disciplines, and it continues to expand. A leader in comprehensive learning, San Jacinto College recently earned recognition for being a veteran friendly college and was named an Achieving the Dream Leader College. This establishment plays a critical role in improving the educational experience of the hard working citizens in our communities. Access to quality education is an important stepping stone to achieve the American dream of a better life. San Jacinto College provides a valuable opportunity for people throughout our communities to access higher education. As President Kennedy once said, ``Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education. The human mind is our fundamental resource.'' The achievements of San Jacinto College bring pride to Houston and all of Texas. Congratulations to San Jacinto College for fifty years of excellence and to a bright future ahead.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to Army Private First Class Cody R. Norris, who was killed on November 9 during combat operations in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. Cody was a proud Bulldog, a 2010 graduate of La Porte High School in La Porte, Texas. He was in Junior ROTC, a member of the Color Guard and the Rifle Team. He was also a member of the Military Museum. Cody deployed to Afghanistan while he was assigned to Alpha Company, 2nd Battalion, 34th Armor Regiment, 1st Infantry Division--the Army's oldest division, the ``Big Red One''--in Fort Riley, Kansas. He was a typical American teenager. He enjoyed working on his 1952 M37 Army truck that he drove to and from school. He was a Texan who enjoyed paintball, deer hunting, playing video games, and yes, hibachi food. Cody's lifelong dream was to join the Army. His time in Junior ROTC in high school motivated him to enlist in the Army to serve his country. He always put others before himself and did so with a smile on his face and a kind word for those around him. He had a gift for winning people over with his caring personality and always managed to cheer up those around him. Cody's mother said that he lived life on his terms and always did what he believed was right, regardless of trends or what other people thought. He was well liked by his platoon mates and gained the admiration of others by constantly carrying more than his fair share. According to his brother Michael, now a cadet at West Point, in Cody's last battle, when his platoon was attacked, he was carrying extra ammunition. When he was killed, that extra ammunition ultimately helped save his fellow soldiers, his friends. I never had the honor to know Cody Norris personally, but I stand here today humbled by the fact that he and the hundreds of thousands of American troops serving in our Armed Forces are willing to sacrifice so much so that we may sleep peacefully under the blanket of freedom that they provide. As a former naval aviator, I know all too well the sacrifices families make to support their loved ones who serve in harm's way. Cody Norris and his family, and the thousands of other families who have lost loved ones in the defense of our country, have paid the ultimate price for our freedom. For them, in many ways, the war never ends. America can never repay the debt we owe to Cody Norris and his family, but we can honor his family and his eternal contributions to our liberty. Madam Speaker, Cody Norris is a true American hero, and a grateful Nation says thank you.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Chairman, I appreciate the comments of my colleague from Houston, Texas. I wish this amendment was not necessary, but with the current administration, the regulatory environment has gotten out of control. The best example is the Environmental Protection Agency and all the rules and regulations they have imposed upon the oil and gas industry and the power industry in the State of Texas. The best example of that is testimony from the administrator herself right here on Capitol Hill. When asked if she can survey the sort of job loss and impact on jobs from the regulations, she said no, not our business. That's wrong. If the agency is going to propose changes to some regulatory rule, they need to let the American people how it's going to impact the jobs right here at home. Again, it's a commonsense amendment. I urge my colleagues to support it. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. My amendment clarifies one of the provisions in H.R. 3010 regarding rulemaking. The bill before the House states that when making a rule, an agency shall consider potential costs and benefits associated with proposed rules, including direct, indirect, cumulative costs and benefits, and estimated impacts on American jobs. My commonsense amendment specifies that the agency proposing the rule shall, and this is a quote from the amendment, ``estimate the net gain or loss in domestic jobs'' in their jobs impact analysis. My amendment will ensure that the public has a full understanding of the real impact to American workers before the proposed rule becomes effective. At a time of record unemployment, we must properly balance Federal regulations to minimize job losses before these jobs leave our shores. This will not, will not, stop Federal agencies from issuing needed regulations, but it will stop them from imposing unjustified and unintended regulatory costs without informing the American people how these regulations will impact jobs right here in the United States of America. While regulations are necessary, when they are necessary my amendment requires agencies to find the lowest-cost alternative to achieve the regulatory goals. I thank my fellow Texan, Chairman Smith, for his support of my amendment, and I ask my colleagues to support it as well. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, at a time when our Nation's economy is struggling to recover from our deepest recession in which millions of Americans are looking for work, no one would believe that we would forgo an opportunity to reduce our reliance on Middle Eastern oil and create thousands of American jobs. Incredibly, that's exactly what happened after the White House announced they would delay decision on approval of the Keystone XL pipeline until 2013, after the elections of November 2012. At a time when our President faced a difficult choice between opposing powers within his base--labor unions and radical environmentalists--he chose to punt rather than lead. Labor unions support construction of the Keystone XL pipeline because they understand this project has been deemed safe and will create 20,000 direct American jobs and thousands more indirect jobs across our Nation as the pipeline is built. But radical environmentalists and Hollywood activists vehemently oppose the project. In fact, they surrounded the White House in protest of the Keystone XL pipeline, claiming that the project is not environmentally safe. While these protesters made catchy headlines, their claims about the Keystone XL pipeline simply aren't true. The Keystone XL project has been studied extensively for over 3 years, when TransCanada originally filed an application for a Presidential permit with the Department of State. The Presidential permit review process was conducted by the State Department, the Environmental Protection Agency, and many other agencies within the Federal Government. After 3 years of comprehensive review and several changes to the project to accommodate environmental concerns, the final report to the White House incorporated 57 project-specific special conditions for the design, construction and operation of the Keystone XL pipeline. In simple terms, the Keystone XL pipeline was designed to be the safest pipeline the world has ever known. Here's the truth why the Keystone XL pipeline promises to be the safest pipeline ever. As proposed, the Keystone XL pipeline will be monitored 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year with the most advanced technologies. It will be buried at a deeper depth than similar pipelines to minimize risk. It will utilize multiple leak detection methods and failsafe shutoff systems, as well as having an emergency response program in place ready to respond if needed. Critics of the project further claim that the crude transported by the Keystone XL pipeline is highly corrosive ``toxic sludge.'' This is a claim that can only come out of Hollywood, with no facts to support it. Independent analysis and sound science have determined these oils are not corrosive to steel. Canadian oil is already shipped safely across the United States via other Canadian pipelines. Good old- fashioned common sense tells us that no company would try to destroy its own interest by spending billions to construct a pipeline system that is going to be eaten up by the very products it transports. I'll wrap up my comments with the facts about the Keystone XL pipeline. This project has been exhaustively studied and revised to ensure its safety. Three years of grueling review and detailed analysis by multiple Federal Government agencies have concluded that construction and use of the Keystone pipeline is safe. In August, our Department of State recommended that President Obama approve the Keystone XL pipeline. Our economy is still teetering on recession. It needs to be strengthened; and we need a safe, reliable supply of energy to grow it. Canada can provide it. They want to provide it, thereby reducing our reliance on Middle Eastern oil and strengthening our national security because we have energy security as a result. Thousands of new jobs will be created to build this pipeline. Mr. Speaker, I urge the President to approve the Keystone XL pipeline now.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Madam Speaker, this is a somber occasion, but I am honored to speak in support of congressional action dedicating a room in the Capitol Visitor Center as the Gabriel Zimmerman Meeting Room. As all America knows, Gabe and five others lost their lives on January 8 of this year in a parking lot in Tucson, Arizona, when a deranged man opened fire on innocent people. Gabe was just doing his job. And while I've never had the pleasure to meet Gabe, I feel like I know a lot about Gabe. He worked for Gabby Giffords, a Congresswoman who has become a good friend through our close work as leaders in the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee of the Science and Technology Committee in the last Congress. Gabby showed me something rare in Washington, true bipartisanship; and it says a tremendous amount about Gabe that he had Gabby's trust and confidence. I also feel I know Gabe because, like him, I was a congressional staffer. I served in the offices of two Texas Senators, Senator Phil Gramm and Senator John Cornyn, for nearly 9 years; and there is nothing I wouldn't do to protect my bosses. Gabe was put in a position that no congressional staffer in American history has faced, asked to sacrifice his life for his boss and innocent people. When the shots rang out, Gabe was in the line of fire. He didn't run. He made the ultimate sacrifice and became the first congressional staffer to give his life in the line of duty. One final comment about Gabe's courage. Prior to my time as a Senate staffer, I served for nearly 10 years as a pilot in the United States Navy. Our military heroes who lay down their lives for their comrades are celebrated and remembered. They're given our Nation's highest military honors. They're immortalized in history. And while Gabe Zimmerman was not wearing a uniform the day he died, he deserves to be immortalized nonetheless. This Congress does so today by passing H. Res. 364, permanently affixing Gabe Zimmerman's name on a plaque in the Capitol Visitor Center. We can never, ever forget Gabe's sacrifice for the United States of America, and by passing H. Res. 364 we ensure that Gabe's short life is forever remembered, revered, and immortalized.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, before spending last weekend in Hawaii and now jetting off to Australia and Indonesia, President Obama was crisscrossing our country on his ``We Can't Wait'' for Congress to act tour. Along the way, he found the time to issue Executive orders that circumvent the will of Congress. His justification for this end run around Congress? America can't wait for Congress to act to create jobs. If our President was really interested in creating jobs, he would not have caved in to election-year politics, which was precisely what he did last Friday when he punted on approval of the proposed Keystone XL pipeline until well after next fall's election. When completed, the Keystone XL pipeline will bring nearly 1 million barrels of oil per day to the United States from Canada. Support for this pipeline is wide and varied, including major United States labor unions who understand the project will create thousands of American jobs and reduce our reliance on Middle Eastern oil. We will have greater energy security, which means greater national security. That's a win-win-win-win for America. There is no dispute that building the pipeline will create 20,000 direct American construction jobs and spin off over 100,000 indirect jobs in the good `ol USA. Unfortunately, the President is putting personal political needs before the needs of out-of-work Americans. He is blowing an opportunity to ensure a stable energy supply from a country that likes us while creating jobs right here in America. The Environmental Protection Agency and the State Department have spent extensive time reviewing the impact of this pipeline. Early proposals were revised to address EPA and stakeholder concerns. After years of study, a decision was supposed to be made this fall by President Obama. Apparently, it was a tough decision for our President. He had to choose between two groups within his political base--labor unions and jobs or environmental activists and no jobs. There are times when the American people expect leadership, leadership which requires making tough decisions. Regrettably, last Friday, our President caved in to environmental and Hollywood activists as they surrounded the White House in opposition to the Keystone pipeline. He chose to postpone a final decision on the Keystone XL pipeline until January 2013. His reason? The administration needed to consider alternative routes for the pipeline that avoided aquifers in Nebraska. But the saga doesn't end there. Yesterday, TransCanada, the builder of the pipeline, directly addressed President Obama's concerns by announcing they would reroute the pipeline to avoid the Nebraska aquifers. Problem solved. American people win; right? No. It took a few hours for the administration to announce that the goalposts were being moved again. Despite proposing a solution to the President's concerns, the administration announced that a final decision would not come until after the Presidential election in 2012. The bottom line: Presidential politics trumped what's best for a nation struggling to recover from the worst recession in history. America needs a thoughtful leader who places the needs of country over politics. Canada has an abundance of energy they want to sell us, but they won't wait forever, and China is a ready customer. Canadian Prime Minister Harper recently indicated that with this unnecessary delay, Canada must increase its efforts to find a partner to ensure it can supply energy outside the United States and into Asia in particular. This pipeline will help American families today. We need these jobs today. We need this pipeline today. The Chicago Bears need a punter. The American people need a leader. President Obama should be that leader and approve this pipeline today.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Will the chairman work with me as the process moves forward to look for oil spill prevention and response strategies that are more effective and less expensive than standby vessels?

Mr. OLSON. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Chairman Mica, H.R. 2838 requires standby vessels near oil rigs. Subsequent to Deepwater Horizon, five major ports have made numerous recommendations for improvements in oil spill prevention and response. Do you agree that it would be preferable to review these recommendations and then make comprehensive decisions on prevention and response improvements rather than to act on a single, limited, expensive response strategy--standby vessels?

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Madam Speaker, small businesses account for nearly all the new job creation in America and nearly half of America's workforce. Yet in this economy, small business owners are struggling just to stay afloat. Most small businesses file taxes as individuals, so any tax hike, like the one proposed by the White House, or the expiration of previous tax cuts, will kill growth and American jobs. We need a simpler tax code. Our current Tax Code is so complex that America's businesses spend roughly $74 an hour on paperwork for compliance. That's real money, money that could give jobs to thousands of Americans struggling to take care of their families. House Republicans have a plan to fix the Tax Code to help job creators by giving them more time, more money, and more resources to invest in expansion and job creation. Madam Speaker, America's job creators deserve a simpler and more equitable tax system, and House Republicans plan to give them exactly what they deserve.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Chairman, I have an amendment at the desk.

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I believe that issuing a mandate of this nature without proper study to determine if it will increase safety would be problematic. No one takes safety more seriously than the companies operating offshore. Since Deepwater Horizon, multiple safeguards have been put in place to ensure worker safety. I simply believe that the Coast Guard should have an opportunity to assess a provision of this nature before we establish an arbitrary mandate that they'll have to comply with. This amendment does not--does not--prevent us from implementing measures to ensure worker safety. It simply requires a 6-month study first to allow the Coast Guard to analyze the safety benefits so that we can provide the safest environment for our offshore drilling workers. The Coast Guard may determine that standby vessels should be required. If so, I will work to ensure that happens. I'm just asking that we review this issue thoroughly and prudently before we rush to legislate. However, at this time, I understand the need to withdraw my amendment and appreciate Chairman Mica's willingness to work with me to address my concerns as we work through the legislative process. I also appreciate the gentleman from Louisiana, whose provision in the bill I sought to improve with my amendment. I am grateful for his commitment to work with me on our differences. With that, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw my amendment.

Mr. OLSON

Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, the President recently came before the people's House and asked ``whether, in the face of an ongoing national crisis, we can stop the political circus and actually do something to help the economy.'' Well, Mr. Speaker, House Republicans agree circus time is over. And that's why we have passed 15 jobs bills that remain stuck in the Senate majority leader's inbox. One of those jobs bills is the Keystone XL pipeline that imports oil from Canada and will create over 340,000--let me say that again-- 340,000 American jobs by 2015, 27,000 of those jobs in my home State of Texas, while bringing in new revenue, all without costing the taxpayer one single dime. When the Keystone XL pipeline is fully operational, we will get more oil from Canada than we currently import from Saudi Arabia. Replacing OPEC oil with Canadian oil increases our energy security. And if we increase our energy security, we increase our national security. If we do not seize this opportunity, China will gladly take the oil from Canada that the Canadians want us to have. While the President tours the Nation promoting a new half-trillion-dollar stimulus plan, approval of the Keystone XL pipeline remains stalled. Mr. Speaker, the President can jump-start our economy and stop the political circus by approving the Keystone XL pipeline. The ball is in his court.