Fred Upton

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. 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 material in the Record on the bill.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this bill, H.R. 2786, introduced by my two colleagues, the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hudson) and the gentlewoman from Colorado (Ms. DeGette), has always been a bipartisan bill. It amends the Federal Power Act to promote renewable energy from small conduit hydropower facilities. The bill would encourage the generation of electricity from existing manmade conduits operated for the distribution of water for agriculture, municipal, or industrial consumption. I would note that Congress established qualifying conduit exemptions under the Hydropower Regulatory Efficiency Act of 2013. This bill, H.R. 2786, builds on that law to provide benefits to a greater range of conduit hydropower projects. This bill, in fact, will shorten the review period and allow larger conduit projects to be eligible for exemption from certain listing requirements. I know of no serious objections to the bill. It is bipartisan, as it should be. I urge my colleagues to support it. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Hudson), the original author of the bill.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I just want to comment briefly on the remarks by my two colleagues. This is an important bill, and for those of us who have always supported all of the above, whether it be renewable or safe nuclear, all those different things, hydro is part of that mix. I would just note that I had a question yesterday morning. I did a big Farm Bureau breakfast in my district, and the question about hydropower came up. Just like my friend from Colorado talks about the most important bill in Colorado, this is an important bill. It is also important that we work together to get this bill done so that the Senate can follow suit. I urge my colleagues to vote for this bipartisan legislation. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Barton), former chairman and now vice chairman of the influential and powerful Energy and Commerce Committee, coming from the good State of Texas versus the great State of Michigan. (Mr. BARTON asked and was given permission to revise and extend his remarks.)

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3050) to amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to provide Federal financial assistance to States to implement, review, and revise State energy security plans, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material in the Record on the bill.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this is an important bill. It really is. This bill, H.R. 3050, is a bipartisan bill introduced by myself and by my good friend and colleague across the aisle, Mr. Rush. It is bipartisan. This bill reauthorizes the State Energy Program and it strengthens our energy emergency planning and preparedness efforts in a big-time way. This bill builds upon the Energy and Commerce Committee's impressive record of hearings and legislation focused on energy security, emergency preparedness, job creation, and infrastructure protection and resilience. Across the country, States have to respond to a variety of hazards, including hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, fuel supply disruptions, physical and, yes, cyber threats, too. This legislation provides States with tools in the toolbox so that they have flexibility that they need to address local energy challenges. It ensures that State energy security planning efforts address fuel supply issues, assess State energy profiles, address potential hazards to each energy sector. It mitigates risk to enhance reliability and incorporate regional planning efforts. Let's face it, the consumer at home, businesses trying to put out a product, they want to make sure that the electricity is on. They don't care what the excuse is. They want it on. This bill makes significant strides to protect our Nation's fuel and electric infrastructure from physical and cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities. It makes sure that we are thinking ahead not just about the actual threat, but, in fact, how our energy and electric systems might be vulnerable in a broader sense. The bill also encourages mutual assistance, an essential part of responding and restoring in the event of an energy emergency. Teamwork: prioritizing and elevating energy security planning and emergency preparedness is, yes, an important step in the face of increased threats, vulnerabilities, and interdependencies of energy infrastructure and end-use systems. This bill is important and is going to get to the President's desk in a bipartisan way. Again, I thank my good friend and colleague for his help in getting this bill through our committee and here to the House floor. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I would like to conclude by saying that I thank the gentleman from Texas for his remarks. It was an important amendment. God help us if something happens in our country because of a physical or cyber attack. And if it does, we always wonder and ask the questions: What do we do? This is a step in advance to make sure that, in fact, we do have, as I said earlier, the tools in the toolbox to try and prevent such a travesty from happening that would impact the Nation in a major way. So it is important that this legislation pass this afternoon; that the Senate take it up as quickly as they can; that the President sign it; and that it then gets implemented to protect all of our citizens from East to West, to North, to South. It is an important issue. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2828) to extend the deadline for commencement of construction of a hydroelectric project.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 2828, introduced by the gentleman from Washington (Mr. Newhouse). This bill will authorize the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, FERC, to extend the time period during which a licensee is required to commence construction of a hydroelectric project. Back on July 9, 2013, FERC issued a license for the Public Utility District Number 1 of Okanogan County, Washington's proposed 9-megawatt Enloe hydroelectric project. This project will be located at the existing Enloe Dam on the Similkameen River near the city of Oroville, Washington. The license requires the licensee to commence construction of the project within 2 years of the issuance date of the license, or by July 9, 2015. At the licensee's request, FERC has already granted the maximum allowable 2-year extension, thus making the construction deadline July 9, 2017. Development of the Enloe project has experienced setbacks that have complicated the licensee's ability to meet the deadline. This bill, H.R. 2828, would authorize FERC to reinstate the license and issue up to three consecutive 2-year extensions to commence construction. This bill is consistent with prior congressional actions and FERC's longstanding policy limiting the maximum allowable extension to 10 years from the issuance date of the license. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues again to support this bill, on a bipartisan basis, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, so this is a jobs bill. And those who know me know that I have a long record of supporting innovation when it comes to research and development of new drugs and devices. That is why I was proud to help author the 21st Century Cures Act with my Democratic colleague Diana DeGette. This bill broke down the barriers for research and development, put a greater focus on patient- centered care, and gave billions in resources to the National Institutes of Health. President Obama signed our bill into law at the end of 2016. It marked a truly great victory for both patients and researchers across the country. And now that Cures is law, we have got to make sure that the FDA is able to handle the new breakthrough treatments in a timely and predictable fashion, all while still maintaining the highest levels of patient safety. That is why this agreement is so important. My district in southwest Michigan has literally thousands of jobs on the line that are affected by this legislation, and whether it is on the drug side at Pfizer, or the device side at Stryker, or the generic side at Perrigo--all in my district--passing this legislation is vital to those good-paying local jobs, as well as to the patients who will benefit from the new therapies that get those products to market.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 446) to extend the deadline for commencement of construction of a hydroelectric project.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 446.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 446 authorizes the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, FERC, upon request, to extend by 6 years the time period during which construction must commence on the Gathright Hydroelectric Project located in Alleghany County, Virginia. Additionally, FERC may reinstate the construction license if it is expired. A similar bill was passed under suspension of the rules in the 114th Congress in a bipartisan way, and I would hope that we can do it today. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Griffith), a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2274) to amend the Federal Power Act to provide for extended periods relating to preliminary permits and commencement of construction, and for other purposes.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 627) to amend the Energy Policy and Conservation Act to provide for the dissemination of information regarding available Federal programs relating to energy efficiency projects for schools, and for other purposes.

Mr. UPTON

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 447) to extend the deadline for commencement of construction of a hydroelectric project.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 447.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself as much time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, this bill authorizes the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, FERC, upon request, to extend by 6 years the time period during which construction must commence on the Flannagan Dam and Reservoir Hydroelectric Project located in Dickenson County, Virginia. Additionally, FERC may reinstate the construction license if it is expired. The bill, again, passed under suspension in the 114th Congress, and I would hope that we could do the same today in a bipartisan way. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. UPTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Griffith), a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee.