Tom Price

Mr. PRICE of Georgia

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I just want to thank my good friends from Texas once again for bringing this bill to the floor and thank the chairman of the committee for bringing this bill to the floor. In closing, I will just say that my constituents and many constituents and many Americans that I hear from all across this Nation say they remember fondly the wonderful enthusiasm with which this Nation gathered around, challenged by a President in the early 1960s to go to the Moon. And NASA was absolutely pivotal and instrumental in that. And it's that kind of enthusiasm that my constituents and so many Americans believe we ought to be putting into the same kind of program to discovering that alternative fuel that will lead us and allow us to lead throughout the 21st century. So this bill will get a vote. And for that we are very, very grateful. We would ask, Mr. Speaker, and appeal to the leadership to allow a vote on increasing the supply of American energy for Americans and providing a program that allows for the expansive development of alternative fuel. With that, I am pleased to support this bill. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. I thank my colleague from Georgia. Dr. Gingrey, the two posters that he showed--because I think that the Taunton River, wild and scenic river poster that he showed, demonstrate the contortion to which the Democrat majority will go to not, to not increase supply of fuel, of fossil fuels for the American people, the contortions that they will go through to try to make certain that people pay more at the pump and have to pay more for heating their home in the winter. It is truly astounding. We believe in a comprehensive solution. We don't believe in just one thing. We don't believe in just conservation, we believe strongly in conservation, but not just conservation. We don't believe just in alternative fuels, we believe in alternative fuels without a doubt, but we don't believe in just alternative fuel. We believe also in increasing supply, because, as my friend knows, we believe in the laws of economics. The law of supply and demand is a law. That's why they call it a law. When you increase supply, you decrease cost, and that's what the American people know. That's why the American people are so supportive of the efforts that we are trying. Seventy-six percent support increasing oil drilling in the United States immediately, 76 percent. A year ago, that wouldn't have been that number. In fact, it might have been 25 percent, absolutely the reverse, 73 percent favor--said they favor offshore drilling for oil and natural gas immediately, 73 percent. Sixty-eight percent said they supported increasing exploration for oil and natural gas immediately. These are the American people who understand and appreciate that when the price goes up that one of the ways to bring down the price is to increase the supply, increase the supply.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Many of my constituents ask me, well, why won't you have an opportunity to vote? They don't understand, they think that back in the fourth grade and the sixth grade when they learned about how Congress works, and they thought that votes just happen on the floor of the House whenever there was a bill that was introduced. Well, the challenge that we have is that the majority party, the Speaker, determines whether or not a bill gets a vote on floor of the House, and the Speaker will not allow a vote on this. That's all we are asking. We are not asking to game the system, to tell us what the result is going to be. We will let every Member vote, all 435 Members, let them vote. That's all we are asking. Let's vote for the utilization of deep sea exploration for oil, on-shore exploration for oil, use of oil shale, clean coal technology, increasing refining capacity, increasing energy for Americans. That's what we would like to see a vote on the floor of this House, and I know that's what the American people want to see. I am so pleased to be able to join my colleague from Georgia tonight and the leadership that he has shown on this issue.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. If there were an investment of $120 billion, and I don't know what it was, then the margin would be a percentage and that is what you determine what the actual profits are.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. In absolute numbers, you are absolutely correct. I have no doubt about it.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. And I agree.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. No, I am pleased to continue the discussion on energy and whatever aspect of it you would like to discuss.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. If the gentleman would yield, I agree those are big numbers. What those numbers don't tell us is what kind of money they used to invest and what those margins were. And I don't know the answer to that.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. I thank the gentleman for yielding. Far be it for me to defend oil companies, but my understanding is that the profits in oil companies has been about 8 percent for the past couple of years. I don't know what it ought to be, but I know how you figure that out in our society, and that is you allow markets to work. I also know there are some significant increases, there are some major companies that are making 15 and 20 percent margins. And the gentleman is right, it is a philosophical question, when should the government step in. I think the points that have been made are very good points to talk about the strategic petroleum reserve and to talk about alternative fuel and conservation and geothermal and the like. My point would be that we on this side believe we ought to have a comprehensive solution, that it ought to include all of these things, and all of these things means utilizing more of the supply that we have, American supply, whether it is offshore, whether it is deep-sea exploration, or whether it is on-shore exploration. Or oil shale. We haven't talked about oil shale at all, and I think it is a bit of a transition into the speculation discussion because oil shale has been taken off the table earlier by the new majority. And oil shale is, as many of my friends know, estimated to have 2 trillion barrels of oil. That's a hard number to get your arms around. But when you look at in perspective, 1 trillion barrels of oil is what the entire human population has used since we began using fossil fuels. And we, America, have 2 trillion, estimated to be 2 trillion barrels of oil in terms of reserves. I do know when you take that kind of supply off the table, the speculators, those who look at how much reserve, how much supply is out there in the world, when we as the government take that off the table, that immediately jacks up the price because that is not even there. That is not even there to be talked about or utilized. So I look forward to the comments of my friend from Michigan about the issue of speculation because I think that we would again give the message that we are interested in talking about all of these things and having a comprehensive solution. I would hope that our friends on the other side of the aisle are also interested in a comprehensive solution and not a targeted solution that picks winners and losers and picks friends and punishes enemies from a governmental standpoint.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. I thank the gentleman for yielding. And I want to thank all of my colleagues for working together to bring this evening to reality because I think it's what the American people want, and that is a discussion about what's going on. Mr. Speaker, we have talked about the need for increasing supply, and I appreciate my friend from New York's saying that the SPR ought to be released because what that argument signifies is an appreciation that supply is important. And supply is important. And that's what the American people understand and appreciate. They know that when there's an increase in supply that there's a decrease in price. We have talked about how much of the Outer Continental Shelf has been utilized, and different maps and different charts do different things and demonstrate different things. This is a pie chart that demonstrates that the dark purple area is the portion of the Outer Continental Shelf that is able to be leased. And 97 percent is not, 97 percent is not right now. And that's what the American people see. They see that we have got all sorts of wonderful resources that we ought to be utilizing, American energy for Americans, that we're not. The same can be said for on-land areas that ought to be leased or could be available for leasing. Onshore, the dark purple, 6 percent is that area that is able to be leased right now for oil and gas development, and 94 percent is not. And I think that it's imperative that we concentrate on that area that could be utilized by Americans. Americans are frustrated because they understand and appreciate that we're not using the resources that we have. My friend from Michigan talks about the fact that we have got more than enough supply. I would suggest to my friend that Americans don't believe we ought to be gaining 70 percent of our supply from foreign sources. I would suggest to my friend that Americans want to utilize American resources for Americans and that that's the kind of work that they would appreciate our doing together on this floor, as we're discussing tonight. So I hope that as we move forward this evening and talk about these issues that we identify that available energy, the resources that we have that are available to Americans. We don't have to worry about Hugo Chavez. We don't have to worry about folks in the Middle East. We don't have to be held prisoner of folks that, frankly, don't like us very much. We can utilize American resources for Americans. And I hope that as we move forward in this discussion over the next couple of weeks that we'll concentrate on that and have that as the hallmark for our solutions. And I thank my friend for yielding.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. I thank the gentleman.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Madam Speaker, I appreciate the gentleman's leadership on this. My good friend from the other side said he didn't come prepared to talk about his side's strategy on energy. Well, let me share with you what an aide from the Democrat side said just this week. He said, ``Right now, our strategy on gas prices is to drive small cars and wait for the wind.'' That is the problem, Madam Speaker. Because when we want home last week, all of us went home last week for the Fourth of July break, we met with our constituents; and we heard what I suspect my friend from Massachusetts would hear if he asks, and that is, that they understand, the American people understand that supply is important. And this is a dynamic situation. He talks about a vote a number of years ago on whether or not there ought to be offshore exploration. Well, Madam Speaker, the situation has changed. The American's people opinion has changed. What has done that? $4 a gallon gasoline that the other side has done nothing about. On our side we have attempted for years, literally for years to increase supply. In fact, as has been recited by my good friend from California earlier, we have passed all sorts of legislation out of the House of Representatives. What has happened is that they have died in the Senate. They have not gotten the 60 votes that they needed. But, Madam Speaker, I have great confidence in the responsiveness of the United States Senators, who have also been home and appreciate that this situation has changed. The American people are demanding American energy for Americans, and there are solutions that are on the table. H.R. 3089, No More Excuses Energy Act, would reduce the price of gasoline by opening new American oil refineries. Investing in clean energy sources such as wind, nuclear, and captured carbon dioxide, and making available more homegrown energy through environmentally sensitive exploration of the Arctic Energy Slope and America's Deep-Sea Energy Reserves. H.R. 3089, Madam Speaker. It is there for the taking. All we ask for is a vote. We are not guaranteeing passage, but we do believe that it is appropriate for the most deliberative body in the world to have an opportunity to vote on increasing the supply of American energy for Americans. And the problem is, is that our friends on the other side don't want to have that vote. Why? I am not quite certain, because I know that their constituents are telling them what our constituents are telling us, and that is, increase American energy for Americans. Instead, what is their policy? Drive small cars and wait for the wind. Madam Speaker, we demand a vote on H.R. 3089 and the other bills that will increase American supply, American energy for Americans. Let's vote now.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. The gentleman asked a question.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Will the gentleman yield?

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. You asked a question.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, how much time remains on our side?

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. I thank the gentleman for yielding, and I thank him for his leadership on this issue, the national parks quarter bill. We have in my district the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, which is under the National Park Service, the longest linear park in the Nation, 48-mile linear park, and so I am pleased to support this bill. The concern that I have, however, about the national parks is that, Mr. Speaker, more and more Americans aren't able to get to them, and they aren't able to get to them because of the price of gasoline. And so what we ought to be doing here as the House of Representatives, in addition to recognizing the wonderful work of the National Park Service, is to do all that we can to make certain that the number one issue of Americans across this Nation is addressed. That issue is energy policy and gas prices. So I come to the well today to lend my support to those who are trying to move forward in a positive way as it relates to energy policy for our Nation. We have, Mr. Speaker, as you know, a number of bills that aren't being brought to the floor because the Speaker doesn't want them to come to the floor, is not interested in increasing supply of oil for Americans, American energy for Americans. There are a number of discharge petitions, which is the only avenue that Members of the House have when their bills are bottled up when they can't get to the floor. We have four of them that are available right now. One is the No More Excuses Energy Act that would increase the ability of new refineries to be brought on line in the United States. Mr. Speaker, we haven't had a new refinery built in this Nation in over 30 years, and the problem with that is that we can't get product to the retail market. We cannot increase the supply if you don't have increase in refineries. That is H.R. 3089. Mr. Speaker, there is another one, H.R. 2279, which would expand the refining capacity on closed military installations, one of those that allows for increasing refining capacity on land that is currently not even being used, Federal land that is not being used. And this is important as it relates to national parks, because again, Mr. Speaker, my constituents are having trouble getting to the national parks because of the price of gasoline. And this House is not acting because the leadership, the Speaker and her leadership, are not interested in bringing forward bills that increase supply. Another one is H.R. 5656, which would repeal the ban on acquiring alternative fuels. Mr. Speaker, we were home last week, and one of the things I heard from my constituents as I know folks heard all across this Nation is: You have got to solve the energy problems. You have got to solve the gas price problem. One of the ways to do that is to conserve. Yes, there is no doubt about it. Another way is to increase supply. We have talked a lot about that. Another way in the long run is to make certain that we have got the kind of technology available to provide for alternative fuel. This is a bill, H.R. 5656, that would allow for increasing accessibility to mechanisms to bring alternative fuels on line, diverse sources of fuels like oil shale and tar sands and coal-to-liquid technology. I was surprised to learn, Mr. Speaker, as I know you were that the United States has one of the largest resources of oil shale in the world. In the world. So much so that the estimate is that we could get over 2 trillion barrels of oil out of the oil shale, oil sands that is American resource. American resource. Now, 2 trillion is a big number. It has got a lot of zeroes after it. What does it really mean, 2 trillion barrels of oil? Well, just to put it in perspective, Mr. Speaker, the world has used 1 trillion barrels of oil since 1875. Mr. Speaker, the world has used 1 trillion barrels of oil since 1875. We Americans possess, our natural resources, the ability to gain 2 trillion barrels of oil without any influence from a foreign source, without utilizing any foreign source or any foreign technology. We could do that right now if we were able to have this House and Senate act. So this is remarkable, remarkable information. It is important that the Members of the House know this. It is important that all Americans know this. Because we have within our capacity the ability to become not just less reliant on foreign oil but self-sufficient on American oil. American energy for Americans. That is what it is all about. That is what we hear when we go home. So why, Mr. Speaker, why will this House not be allowed to vote on H.R. 5656? Or H.R. 2279? Or H.R. 3089? Or the one that has brought a discharge petition this week H.R. 2208, which is the Coal to Liquid Fuel Act, which would reduce the price of gasoline by encouraging the use of clean coal technology? Mr. Speaker, as you also know, we in the United States possess the world's largest reserves of coal, and technology has changed so drastically over the past 20 to 30 years, that now it is possible in an environmentally sensitive and sound way, and responsible way, to gain natural gas, to gain gasoline from liquid coal, from coal-to-liquid technology, energy for Americans, American energy for Americans. But what is happening here in the House of Representatives when it comes to energy policy? Nothing, Mr. Speaker. Nothing. And so when I went home last week, I know I heard what all of our colleagues did, and that is the House has got to act. The House has got to act. The frustration level of the American people is huge. And it ought to be. Their anger is huge, and it ought to be. I encourage my colleagues to communicate to the Speaker's office, to let the Speaker know that we want to vote on these bills. I don't know how the vote will turn out, but I do know that the constituents of my district and the constituents of districts all across this Nation want to know how their Member will vote on these bills. It is imperative, American energy for Americans. Once again, I want to thank my good friend from Delaware for providing me this time, and getting to the issue of the national parks in a little side way manner, but I think it is important. I think it is important because our constituents, I know, want us to solve the issue of energy so they can visit the national parks, the beautiful national parks all across this Nation.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. I thank the Speaker. I thank my good friend from Delaware for allowing me to comment on a few of the comments that have been made by the gentlelady from New York and try to set the record straight a little bit. The issue of the 68 million acres of leased land, of Federal land to gain access to oil reserves under Federal land of the United States isn't whether or not all of those have been used, it's whether or not there is any oil underneath them. And the fact of the matter, Mr. Speaker, as you well know is that in much of those areas, there is no oil underneath them, and you don't need to drill in every single acre to confirm there's no oil in adjacent acres. The technology is incredible today. So the fact that all haven't been drilled doesn't mean that the resources that are under those 68 million haven't been utilized, because they have. In fact, Mr. Speaker, 95 percent of the land that ought to be available for leasing has not been leased. My good friend asked what happened on our watch. What happened when the Republicans were in charge. Well, Mr. Speaker, as you know, we passed the vast majority of these and they got held up in the Senate. They got held up because it requires 60 votes to move anything through the Senate. My suspicion though, Mr. Speaker, is that now there aren't 40 individuals who would stop these bills from moving forward, that the holdup is here in the House of Representatives. My good friend from New York talks about all of the bills that have already been passed. Well, Mr. Speaker, the problem with that is that none of them, not one of them deals with increasing supply. They call it a law of supply and demand because it's a law. It's a law. If you increase the supply, you will decrease the cost at the pump. Americans know that. Americans want a vote on supply. Mr. Speaker, give us a vote on supply. American energy for Americans.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I object to the vote on the ground that a quorum is not present and make the point of order that a quorum is not present.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today on behalf of Representative Gary Miller to recognize the importance of homeownership in America and to commend him on his resolution. On May 29, 2008, President Bush designated June as Homeownership Month, as he has done for the past 7 years. To complement this designation, this resolution, H. Res. 1271, provides congressional recognition of National Homeownership Month and the importance of homeownership in the United States. Owning a home is a fundamental part of the American dream and is the largest personal investment most families will ever make. For millions of families across this country, a home is more than just a symbol of the American dream. It is the backbone of the American way of life. Despite all that's occurring in the housing market, we need to remember that homeownership has historically been the single largest creator of wealth for most Americans. Not only does homeownership provide economic security by building wealth over time; it also strengthens and builds communities. Affordable housing is vital to resolving the current crisis the United States' housing market has in preserving homeownership. National Homeownership Month is a reminder of the importance of housing issues in America. This bipartisan resolution, 1271, recognizes the need for National Homeownership Month and for the overall importance of homeownership in America. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this resolution to reinforce our commitment to housing opportunities and to help guarantee the dream of homeownership for more American families. I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. I thank my friend for his comments earlier. I want to, once again, commend Representative Miller for his resolution. I think it's important in the context of this discussion, however, to make certain that the Nation understands and that our colleagues appreciate that much work has been done to make certain that individuals are able to remain in their homes. There are remarkable programs that have helped, literally, millions of Americans remain in their homes, programs that we strongly support and encourage the expansion of. So I want to, once again, commend my friend from California for introducing this resolution, and I want to thank my friend for his comments.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. PRICE of Georgia

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. I thank the gentleman. As a physician, nothing is more important to me than patients and the ability of doctors to take care of them. One of the reasons that I ran for public office was to work as diligently as I could to get politics out of the clinical exam room and out of the operating room. The process that has brought this bill to the floor, a new bill of over 270 pages, just this morning, reveals the cynical and solely political activity of the majority leadership, a crisis of leadership in this House. No hearing, no amendments, no fairness, no recognition of the true needs of patients and doctors. Politics over policy, politics over people. Shame, Mr. Speaker. Shame. MR. BARROW. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. DeGette).

Mr. PRICE of Georgia

Mr. PRICE of Georgia. Madam Speaker, here it is, Monday, at 12:38 p.m. We find the House back in order for another week. What will we be doing this week? Well, Madam Speaker, we're going to pass a bill that recognizes the achievements of America's high school valedictorians of the class of 2008. We're going to pass a bill honoring the life and musical accomplishments and contributions of Louis Jordan on the 100th anniversary of his birth. We're going to pass a bill that recognizes Pittsfield, Massachusetts as being the home of the earliest known reference to the word ``baseball'' in the United States. We're going to pass a bill supporting the goals and ideals of Black Music Month and to honor the outstanding contributions of African American singers. We're going to pass a bill expressing the sense of Congress that schools in the United States should honor the contributions of individuals from the territories of the United States. We're going to pass a bill naming a veterans' outpatient clinic in Wenatchee, Washington. We're going to pass a bill naming a veterans' center in Tampa, Florida. We're going to pass a bill recognizing National Homeownership Month and the importance of homeownership in the United States. We're going to pass a bill expressing support for the designation of September 2008 as the Gospel Music Heritage Month. We're going to pass a bill naming a post office in Indianola, Mississippi. We're going to pass a bill honoring the life of Robert Mondavi. Madam Speaker, all of those are important things, and they would be fine for us to do if we were dealing with the number one issue of Americans across this Nation, and that is the issue of gas prices and energy supply in the United States. Last week, the Speaker told us that we would be dealing with the issue this week, possibly, although it's not on the list--but possibly--and there may be four bills that they'll bring forward, that the majority party will bring forward. One is to increase regulation. That ought to do a lot to increase supply. One is to require that oil companies holding Federal leases use them or lose them. That will not do much to increase supply because it's already the law of the land. We're going to pass a bill to pay transit fares--bus tickets--for folks. It's not a bad idea, maybe, but what will that do for supply? We're going to pass an antiprice-gouging measure that the House has already passed on a number of occasions. That's not doing a thing for supply. Facts are troubling things, and the fact right now is that this House of Representatives is doing nothing, nothing to increase the supply of gasoline for the United States, nothing to increase American energy for Americans. Consequently, what we see are record gas prices continuing-- $4.08 over the weekend, $4.10, I understand, today. There are a couple of other interesting facts, Madam Speaker. The United States has expanded its dependence on foreign members of OPEC by a full 7 percent in 2007 alone. Another fact, Madam Speaker, is that the United States is the only developed nation in the world that forbids safe energy production on its Outer Continental Shelf, deep sea exploration. The only nation in the world. Another fact, Madam Speaker, is that the U.S. Minerals Management Service estimates that America's Outer Continental Shelf contains nearly 86 billion barrels of oil, enough oil to replace OPEC imports for 50 years. Another fact, Madam Speaker, is that, when bills to increase the supply of gas for Americans and American energy for Americans have come to the floor of this House, 81 percent of the time, Republicans have supported those bills; 83 percent of the time, Democrats have opposed those bills. So the law of supply and demand is clear. If you increase supply, you decrease the cost, and you decrease the price at the pump. So, yes, we need to conserve. Yes, we need to make certain that we find alternative fuel sources for the future, but right now, in the short term, in the near term, it's incumbent upon this House to make certain that we increase supply. American energy for Americans. There are easy ways to do that. What we demand is that the House be allowed to vote.