Pete Sessions

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I would like to have the gentleman stick around for a minute because, as a member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, he is most genuinely involved in trying to make sure that discussions about America and our allies and how the world sees us are well understood. As a man who comes from not only Friendswood, Texas, which, like Mr. Farenthold, is right in the center of this enterprise where we ship our natural resources around the world, I would really like to yield 2 minutes to the gentleman to talk about the impact of foreign affairs. The gentleman, Mr. Hastings, had asked a question about, well, why does this matter?

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, as I explained earlier, Texas is the great American jobs machine. We talked about how we create jobs because we have effectively used the resources that, in many instances, Mother Nature and God have given us. So now it is time for Washington, I think, to learn from models that we do in Texas, where we learn to capitalize on all of our resources--in this case, the energy revolution that is at hand. Look, what Republicans have done today is brought a bill that is common sense to the floor to unleash our natural resources, to make sure that it helps out not only our foreign policy, but workers and jobs in this country, and that is important. So it is a policy issue. The Republican Party is dead-on. There is going to be a bipartisan vote today. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the rule and the underlying legislation. I yield back the balance of my time, and I move the previous question on the resolution. The previous question was ordered.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 48 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. SESSIONS. Reclaiming my time, it does help us. I thank the gentleman. Let us keep going on the second part of the question, which was: Can President Obama just get any bit of credit, just any bit, just a small measure? Well, I would respond to the gentleman: yes, but when he earns it. The President has made it known from the very beginning that he opposed energy policy that the free market tried to produce. Take this example: even though he was at the groundbreaking for the Keystone pipeline, he has been incapable of making a decision for 6 years on something that multiple people, including at least two former Presidents and lots of other people, said it makes a lot of sense to do. Also, the facts of the case are the Congressional Research Service reported that domestic natural gas production has risen by 19 percent since 2009 but decreased by 28 percent on Federal lands. So, the idea that the President has tried to help this while reducing it by almost a third from Federal lands, the evidence is just not there to give him credit. I know that there are people who want to get credit for things even though they didn't do things, even though they didn't complete the task that was in front of them, making decisions, making wise decisions, showing the American people what you stand for. I would do this for the gentleman and help him out, but the administration clearly has been on simply the other side of that issue and that ball. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from Corpus Christi, Texas (Mr. Farenthold), who was with me on the border this last weekend as we looked at border security. He comes from an energy-rich section of our Nation and represents some of the most vibrant companies that are trying to make this country energy-sufficient and to help make sure that what is at the pump is at a great price and is a great product for consumers.

Mr. SESSIONS. I thank the gentleman very much, not only for taking time to discuss these important issues but really for his representation of an industry that can do so many great things, not only for the American people but, really, to help out our friends around the world. It becomes a part of a very positive foreign affairs policy that the United States, instead of going overseas to get energy, we can be delivering that energy. Instead of having to have a blue water navy, a navy that is stretched to keep shipping lanes open, we can be handing these off to other countries to take them. Yesterday, Mr. Speaker, there was a vigorous opportunity, on a bipartisan basis, a discussion that not only did Bill Johnson take part in but also Mr. Garamendi, the gentleman, the Democrat from California, and Ed Whitfield, the subcommittee chairman, about how the delivery of this LNG can be on American ships. A shipbuilding industry to build the ships to meet the specifications that would be necessary to put them in the water to deliver these around the world can be an American-made product also.

Mr. SESSIONS. I yield to the gentleman from Texas.

Mr. SESSIONS. I thank the gentleman. By the way, Mr. Speaker, yesterday, at the Rules Committee, for the first time in a long time, we did not receive a Statement of Administration Policy that the President is opposed to this. It was a bipartisan presentation in the Rules Committee yesterday. Not unprecedented but a really good feeling about us working together for the common interest, to make sure that the American worker comes out on top of this, that the taxpayer comes out on top of this, that we are producing good legislation that can go to the United States Senate, this time, to be heard and passed on, so that we can get this legislation so the President does earn that part of his check on the box that says: And thank you, Mr. President, for agreeing and working with us. Thank you for helping us out. I think this can get through the House. I think it can get to the Senate, and I think the President will sign it. Mr. Speaker, if that is not a positive declaration about the President seeing great things, and me wanting and needing and expecting the President to do what I think is the right thing, then we are simply miscast today. This is a good thing for America. This is a good thing for both parties. But this is a good thing for our friends around the world and diplomacy also. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Friendswood, Texas (Mr. Weber), my dear colleague.

Mr. SESSIONS. I thank the gentleman from Friendswood, Texas, who, Mr. Speaker, has a keen understanding about not only what is in America's best interest, by serving on the Foreign Affairs Committee, but who is also a proud man who understands that people who work hard have jobs-- clean, natural gas, an opportunity for America to get the benefits of one of God's greatest gifts to the United States that we can share with others. Mr. Speaker, I think that there are a whole lot of ways for us to look at not only what lies ahead with opportunity, but I think we can also look at some models of success, and one of them might be my home State of Texas. My home State of Texas has incredible opportunities and benefits that have arisen from the ability to have energy abundance, the ability to have oil, natural gas, and other elements that can be used in this industry to make our country stronger, but what is happening is that we have also used it to Texas' benefit and America's benefit. That is right. Just to tell a story, if it weren't for Texas, net job growth over the last 7 years in America would be flat. That means you take all 49 States, level it out--the minuses, the pluses, net it out--America would not have net positive job growth. But because of Texas, I can tell you that we now have created a net increase of 1.2 million jobs in America, net, and that has come because of Texas. So it is literally entirely a Texas product. The essence of this has come from not just lower taxes, not just better roads, great schools, better education, good people, but it comes from a philosophy of understanding that we need to utilize these natural resources for the benefit of our world. To make jobs, job creation important, instead of delaying things, Texas had to make sure that what we did is we used it to our advantage. So instead of not making decisions, like this Federal Government does by delaying major initiatives, we signed them into law. We got them done. We made things happen. So by doing that, when you do that, then you stand a chance to better everybody's life. I would now like to give the gentleman from Florida a chance to finish his time, so I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, pursuant to clause 2(a)(2) of rule XI, the Committee on Rules' rules of procedure for the 114th Congress are transmitted herewith. They were adopted on January 7, 2015 by record vote of 7 yeas and 4 nays.

Mr. SESSIONS

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, by direction of the Committee on Rules, I call up House Resolution 27 and ask for its immediate consideration.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, for the purpose of debate only, I yield the customary 30 minutes to the gentleman (Mr. Polis), my friend from Colorado, pending which I yield myself such time as I may consume. During consideration of this resolution, all time yielded is for the purpose of debate only. General Leave

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Monroe, Georgia (Mr. Jody B. Hice).

Mr. SESSIONS. No, sir. We covered this yesterday in the Rules Committee, and we intend to move forward. And they are great bills that will help the economy and jobs in this country. Mr. Speaker, at this time I yield----

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I have the time and I appreciate that. Parliamentary Inquiry

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Cassville, Georgia, Congressman Loudermilk, a freshman Member of this delegation.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from the Seventh Congressional District of Texas, Congressman Culberson, the gentleman from the Appropriations Committee.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Raleigh, North Carolina, Congressman Holding.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Appleton, Wisconsin, Reid Ribble.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from Ranger, Georgia (Mr. Graves).

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, we are here today because of failed liberal policies of the President of the United States. Through his unilateral executive actions taken in November and through policies pursued throughout his administration for a number of years, the President's policies have harmed the American taxpayer. Specifically, that is why we are here today as part of this funding bill, to make sure that we address those problems that we see. Today, the House of Representatives will fight the President's failed liberal Democratic dogma and provide for a Homeland Security bill that actually protects the homeland and the American taxpayer. This past summer, the American people saw what happens when the executive branch pursues policies that are not in the best interests of the American people. Over 70,000 unaccompanied minors from South and Central America entered our country illegally. They did this because they believed that this administration would allow them entry into the United States--and, by the way, it looks like it worked. This influx was a costly mistake for the taxpayer and for communities all across this country. Federal taxpayers paid $553 million. We put local schools at risk and stretched the resources of communities all across this country to a tipping point. Mr. Speaker, that is why we are here engaged in this fight. This bill represents conservative Republican solutions on how to protect the homeland and the rule of law. Within this rule is a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security, as well as five amendments that represent a united fight against the President's executive amnesty plan. Let me be perfectly clear. I believe that the President's actions on executive amnesty are unwise and unconstitutional, and they must be stopped. This package provides this body with the opportunity to effectively block and reverse the President's unilateral amnesty, reassert the rule of law, and uphold our Constitution. America became the laughing stock of the world by the way we dealt with this issue, and it lands directly at the feet of the President of the United States. That is why we are here today and are issuing this bill to the United States Senate, to have them take the appropriate action that is necessary, so that we may work together so that America is safe and that we do not have actions that America should not undertake. We have a number of Republicans who wish to speak on this rule today. I look forward to hearing their thoughts, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, at this time, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania, Congressman Lou Barletta, who came to the Rules Committee last night to speak about the importance of this bill, the former mayor of Hazleton, Pennsylvania.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Lewisville, Texas, Dr. Burgess, from the Rules Committee.

Mr. SESSIONS. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1\1/2\ minutes to the gentleman from Georgia (Mr. Allen), one of our brand new freshmen.