Ed Whitfield

Mr. WHITFIELD

Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Chairman, I would say to the American people that, certainly, energy is vitally important, and that is why we have introduced this bill, and that is why we brought this bill to the floor. Because when you talk about creating jobs and stimulating the economy, you have to have low-cost, affordable, abundant, and reliable energy, or you cannot compete in the global marketplace. As I had said earlier, I just want to reiterate, once again, that this bill does nothing but make the decision that we are going to treat oil pipelines, natural gas pipelines, and transmission lines all the same. Right now, a natural gas pipeline that crosses an international boundary does not require a Presidential permit, but an oil pipeline and a transmission line to bring electricity across the border does require a Presidential permit. As many speakers have said today, that Presidential permit or authority was not granted by the Congress; it was taken by executive orders. So all we are doing is saying that we are going to treat all of them the same. Now, some people are saying that: well, you are eliminating the need for NEPA, you are not allowing NEPA review. I had pointed out that there are 33 environmental laws that all of these pipelines or transmission lines would be subject to, and any Federal action, like crossing a stream that would create a necessity for a Clean Water Act permit, could very well generate a need for a NEPA review. Nothing in this bill would limit the application of NEPA to the rest of the project. It would certainly apply to the cross border, but it would not limit application to the rest of the project. So if a project required a right-of-way across Federal lands, the NEPA review would be initiated. Nothing in the bill would exempt the project from requiring applicable Clean Water Act permits, clean air permits, endangered species permits, or any other Federal permit. So I would respectfully request the Members to support this commonsense bill. It would bring certainty to entities that are trying to bring more energy to America by treating gas pipelines the same as oil pipelines, the same as a transmission line. In concluding, I would just like to say this: nothing in the bill creates a Federal right of eminent domain or supersedes a State's exercise of eminent domain authority. In concluding, I would just like to say that, while the gentleman from California and I are on opposite sides of this issue--and a lot of issues--he has been a real leader in the U.S. Congress. He announced earlier that he is not going to be seeking reelection, but the gentleman from California, Henry Waxman, has been a leader in the U.S. Congress and recognized so throughout the country. Even though he is going to be with us for 6 or 7 more months until the end of the year, I did want to acknowledge that he is recognized as a congressional leader, with great empathy and commitment to his views, although sometimes we disagree with his views. With that, I urge the adoption of H.R. 3301 and yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. While I have a great deal of respect for the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Pallone), his amendment would, in effect, codify the Presidential permit not only for oil pipelines and transmission lines, but also for natural gas pipelines, which are now exempt from the Presidential permit. So he is going in the wrong direction, and would make it even more difficult. As I said earlier, NEPA would apply anytime Federal action is triggered, and there are 33 different environmental laws that can trigger Federal action. So I am very much opposed to the gentleman's amendment. I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gene Green).

Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Chairman, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gene Green).

Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Chairman, I would just point out that if we pass H.R. 3301, the Keystone pipeline is still caught up in the Presidential permitting process. And if we adopt the Waxman amendment, the Keystone pipeline would never, ever be able to come back with a new application. Since they filed an application in September of 2008, and despite the State Department saying that there is no negligible environmental impact by approving it, President Obama continues not to approve it. So if after 2016 the Keystone pipeline entity wants to submit a new application under the new law, they would certainly and should have a right to do that. That is the only reason we oppose the Waxman amendment. I urge that Members vote against the Waxman amendment. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Chair, I might say I have a great deal of respect for the gentleman from Vermont (Mr. Welch) on the committee, and he does great work in the area of efficiency and other areas relating to energy, but I do oppose this amendment. At this point, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Texas (Mr. Gene Green) for his comments on the amendment.

Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Chairman, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I do rise in opposition to the gentleman's amendment. First of all, ``minor'' is an undefined term that gives little certainty to agencies or industry. One of the things that we are trying to get away from is the uncertainty of a Presidential permit and be treated like natural gas pipelines. As I said, in H.R. 3301, we are trying to treat all of them exactly the same: transmission lines, oil pipelines, natural gas lines. I would also say that, under the gentleman's amendment, any modifications, such as volume expansion, downstream or upstream interconnections, or adjustments to maintain flow, would potentially be required to obtain a Presidential permit for the modification, even if the original project already has one. Then even operational changes may be subject to a Presidential permit, and ownership changes would be. So, for those reasons, as I said, I respectfully would oppose the gentleman's amendment and ask the Members to oppose it. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Chair, I move that the Committee do now rise.

Mr. WHITFIELD

Mr. WHITFIELD. Madam Speaker, I claim the time in opposition to the motion to recommit.

Mr. WHITFIELD. Madam Speaker, I would just say that H.R. 3301 is designed to do one thing: to treat all pipelines and electric transmission lines exactly as natural gas pipelines are treated. The Great Lakes, we are all committed to. There are 33 separate environmental laws that would not be changed by this legislation. With all due respect, I view this as a procedural vote that says ``no'' to North American energy security and lower prices. It is time to say ``yes'' and end procedural delays. Please vote ``no'' on this motion and say ``yes'' to North American security. I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. WHITFIELD

Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, this Wednesday is National Animal Advocacy Day. On this day, citizens are invited to help enact meaningful protections for animals at the federal, state and local level by being an effective voice for animals. On National Animal Advocacy Day, Mr. Speaker, I'd like to renew my call for the House of Representatives to pass the Prevent All Soring Tactics Act, or PAST Act. This important measure will stop the soring of horses, an abusive practice used by horse trainers in the Tennessee Walking, Racking, and Spotted Saddle Horse industries. Congress passed the Horse Protection Act more than 40 years ago in order to protect horses from soring. Unfortunately, a failed self-policing enforcement system and inadequate penalties in the statute have allowed this cruelty to continue. This bipartisan legislation is already cosponsored by well over half of the House and is supported by many organizations in the equine industry, veterinary medicine, and animal protection communities. I am pleased to provide a copy of the list of support for the record to the full House. I urge my colleagues to take swift action to bring this important bill to the floor. Below is a current list of supporters of the PAST Act, H.R. 1518: Endorsements for the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act Horse Organizations 1. American Horse Council 2. American Quarter Horse Association 3. American Morgan Horse Association 4. American Paint Horse Association 5. American Saddlebred Horse Association 6. Appaloosa Horse Club 7. Arizona Coalition for Equines 8. Carolina Walkers, Inc. (South Carolina) 9. Delaware Equine Council 10. Equine Voices Rescue & Sanctuary (Arizona) 11. European Tennessee Walking Horse Association 12. Fenway Foundation for Friesian Horses 13. For The Tennessee Walking Horse 14. Friends of Sound Horses 15. Friesian Horse Association of North America 16. Gaitway Walking Horse Association (Missouri) 17. Idaho Horse Council 18. International Friesian Show Horse Association 19. International Walking Horse Association 20. Maryland Horse Council 21. Michigan Horse Council 22. Minnesota Horse Council 23. Mountain Pleasure Horse Association (Kentucky) 24. National Plantation Walking Horse Association 25. National Walking Horse Association 26. Natural Walking Horses (Europe) 27. New York State Horse Breeders Association 28. New York State Horse Council 29. New York State Plantation Walking Horse Club 30. Northern California Walking Horse Association 31. One Horse at a Time, Inc. (Kentucky) 32. Pennsylvania Equine Council 33. Pennsylvania Pleasure Walking Horse Association 34. Pinto Horse Association of America 35. Plantation Walking Horse Association of California 36. Plantation Walking Horses of Maryland 37. Professional Horsemen's Association of America 38. Pure Pleasure Gaited Horse Association (Oklahoma) 39. Rocky Mountain Horse Association (Kentucky) 40. Sound Trails and Rails Society (Georgia) 41. South Carolina Horse Council 42. South Dakota Quarter Horse Association 43. Southern Comfort Gaited Horse Club (Idaho) 44. Speak Up for Horses, Inc. (Kentucky) 45. Tennessee Walking Horse Exhibitors Association of Montana 46. Tennessee Walking Horse Association of New Jersey, Inc. 47. Tennessee Walking Horse Association of Oklahoma 48. Tennessee Walking Horse Exhibitors Association of Oregon 49. Tennessee Walking Horse Heritage Society 50. Texas State Horse Council 51. United Pleasure Walking Horse Association (Missouri) 52. United Professional Horsemen's Association 53. United States Equestrian Federation 54. Walking Horse Association of Michigan 55. World Walking Horse Association 56. Yankee Walkers/Gaited Horses of New England (Maine/New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island/Connecticut, and Vermont) Veterinary and Animal Health 1. American Veterinary Medical Association 2. American Association of Equine Practitioners 3. National Association of Federal Veterinarians 4. U.S. Animal Health Association 5. Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association 6. Veterinarians for Equine Welfare 7. Alabama Veterinary Medical Association 8. Alaska Veterinary Medical Association 9. Arizona Veterinary Medical Association 10. Arkansas Veterinary Medical Association 11. California Veterinary Medical Association 12. Colorado Veterinary Medical Association 13. Connecticut Veterinary Medical Association 14. Delaware Veterinary Medical Association 15. District of Columbia Veterinary Medical Association 16. Florida Association of Equine Practitioners 17. Florida Veterinary Medical Association 18. Georgia Veterinary Medical Association 19. Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association 20. Idaho Veterinary Medical Association 21. Illinois Veterinary Medical Association 22. Indiana Veterinary Medical Association 23. Iowa Veterinary Medical Association 24. Kansas Veterinary Medical Association 25. Kentucky Veterinary Medical Association 26. Louisiana Veterinary Medical Association 27. Maine Veterinary Medical Association 28. Maryland Veterinary Medical Association 29. Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association 30. Michigan Veterinary Medical Association 31. Mississippi Veterinary Medical Association 32. Missouri Veterinary Medical Association 33. Montana Veterinary Medical Association 34. Nebraska Veterinary Medical Association 35. Nevada Veterinary Medical Association 36. New Hampshire Veterinary Medical Association 37. New Jersey Veterinary Medical Association 38. New Mexico Veterinary Medical Association 39. New York State Veterinary Medical Association 40. North Carolina Veterinary Medical Association 41. North Dakota Veterinary Medical Association 42. Ohio Veterinary Medical Association 43. Oklahoma Veterinary Medical Association 44. Oregon Veterinary Medical Association 45. Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association 46. Puerto Rico Veterinary Medical Association 47. Rhode Island Veterinary Medical Association 48. South Carolina Association of Veterinarians 49. South Dakota Veterinary Medical Association 50. Tennessee Veterinary Medical Association 51. Texas Veterinary Medical Association 52. Utah Veterinary Medical Association 53. Vermont Veterinary Medical Association 54. Virginia Veterinary Medical Association 55. Washington State Veterinary Medical Association 56. West Virginia Veterinary Medical Association 57. Wisconsin Veterinary Medical Association 58. Wyoming Veterinary Medical Association 59. Donna Preston Moore, DVM, former head of USDA's Horse Protection Program 60. Tracy A. Turner, DVM, MS 61. Michelle Abraham, Resident, New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine 62. John C. Haffner, DVM, ABVP(Eq) 63. Susan Botts, DVM 64. Angela M. Dion, DVM 65. Michelle Abraham, Resident, New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine 66. Hanna Galantino-Homer, VMD, PHD 67. Alicia Grossman, DVM 68. Sue Lindborg, CVT Research Specialist New Bolton Center, University of PA School Of Veterinary Medicine 69. Midge Leitch, VMD, former head of Radiology, New Bolton Center, University of PA School Of Veterinary Medicine 70. Harry Werner, VMD, past president, American Association of AAEP 71. Judith L. Ford, Veterinary Technician 72. Benson B. Martin, DVM, Associate Professor Sports Medicine, New Bolton Center, University of PA School of Veterinary Medicine 73. Nat Messer, DVM, University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine 74. Mary A. Robinson, VMD, PhD 75. Mary Lynn Stanton, DVM 76. Joy Tomlinson, DVM 77. Steve O'Grady, DVM, APF Animal Protection 1. American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals 2. Animal Law Coalition 3. Animal Legal Defense Fund 4. Animal Protection Voters (New Mexico) 5. Animal Welfare Institute 6. Best Friends Animal Society 7. Dakin Humane Society (Massachusetts) 8. Equine Welfare Alliance 9. Homes for Horses Coalition 10. Horse Harbor Foundation (Washington State) 11. Horse Haven of Tennessee 12. Humane Society Legislative Fund 13. Michigan Horse Welfare Coalition 14. Mississippi Horses 15. Nevins Farm & Equine Center, Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals 16. Oregon Horse Welfare Council 17. Richmond Friends of Animals (Virginia) 18. Second Chance Ranch (Washington State) 19. Tennessee Voters for Animal Protection 20. The Humane Society of the United States 21. Virginia Alliance for Animal Shelters 22. Virginia Equine Welfare Society 23. Virginia Federation of Humane Societies 24. Virginia Beach Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Horse Industry Professionals 1. Bill Harlin, Past President, Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders and Exhibitors Association and owner of Harlinsdale Farm 2. Clay Harlin, former Senior Vice-President, Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders and Exhibitors Association 3. Marty Irby, Past President, Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders and Exhibitors Association 4. Chuck Cadle, Past Executive Director, Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders and Exhibitors Association 5. Georgina Bloomberg, professional equestrian sponsored by Ariat International 6. Rick Wies, Tennessee Walking Horse Breeders and Exhibitors Association former VP, Pleasure Horse Division 7. Susan Kayne, host of ``Unbridled'' television show 8. Pat Parelli, founder of Parelli Natural Horsemanship 9. Tom Seay, Best of America by Horseback, trail riding TV show 10. Jan Ebeling, dressage trainer, member of the 2012 Olympic dressage team for the USA and co-owner of Rafalca 11. Dr. April Austin, USDF Bronze, Silver and Gold medalist 12. Monty Roberts, award-winning trainer, best-selling author of The Man Who Listens to Horses 13. Carl Bledsoe, former member of Walking Horse Trainers' Association 14. Pamela Reband, MD, Board of Directors member and former Vice President of TWHBEA 15. Dr. Rebecca Gimenez, Technical Large Animal Emergency Rescue 16. Eric Gray, walking horse farrier 17. Leslie Desmond, natural horsemanship clinician and author 18. Gael Borquin, dressage and eventing coach 19. Karl Mikolka, Former Chief Rider, Spanish Riding School, Vienna, Austria and USDF Hall of Fame 20. E. Allen Buck, Sympathetic Horsemanship 21. Steffen Peters, American Olympian and FEI rider 22. Shannon Peters, dressage instructor and FEI rider 23. Sheryl Rudolph, FITS/Fun in the Saddle, Inc. 24. Heather Barklow, Equine Connections, LLC 25. Diane Sept, Connected Riding Senior Instructor 26. Anita Adams, dressage trainer and FEI rider 27. Mary Werning, dressage trainer and FEI Rider, USDF Medalist 28. Maria Lisa Eastman, Raintree Equine Assisted Services, equine therapy program 29. Dr. Christine Teicheira, equine and human chiropractor 30. Gigi Nutter, USDF Gold Medalist, dressage trainer, owner Touch-N-Go Farm 31. Lisa Kelly Simmons, Lipizzan breeder, Past Director of the United States Lipizzan Federation 32. Jayne Fingerhut, MA, CMT, USDF Regional Champion Rider, equine business patent holder and manufacturer 33. Michelle Andrews Sabol, director of an equestrian therapy program 34. Holly Mason, Equine Biomechanics Specialist, author of It's Never Too Late 35. Terri Farley (author, the Phantom Stallion series) Newspaper Editorial Boards 1. The Tennessean 2. Chattanooga Times Free Press Law Enforcement 1. Association of Prosecuting Attorneys 2. National Sheriffs' Association 3. Sheriff Harrison Moss, Adair County, KY 4. Sheriff Stan Hudson, Caldwell County, KY 5. Sheriff Bill Marcum, Calloway County, KY 6. Sheriff Keith Cane, Daviess County, KY 7. Sheriff Rick Clemons, Grayson County, KY 8. Sheriff Bruce Hampton, Harrison County, KY 9. Sheriff Frank Latham, Hopkins County, KY 10. Sheriff Charles Lee Korzenborn, Kenton County, KY 11. Sheriff Merle Edlin, Larue County, KY 12. Sheriff Jimmy Clements, Marion County, KY 13. Sheriff Patrick Boggs, Mason County, KY 14. Sheriff William ``Butch'' Kerrick, Meade County, KY Public Opinion in Key States with Largest Tennessee Walking Horse Industry A poll conducted in December 2012 by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research found that 75% of Tennessee voters and 69% of Kentucky voters support federal legislation to strengthen the Horse Protection Act by ending the current, failed system of industry self-policing, banning the use of chains and stacks (devices implicated in the soring process) on horses at shows, and increasing penalties for violating the law. Legislators Sponsor of original Horse Protection Act of 1970: Former Senator Joseph Tydings Current bipartisan cosponsors of the PAST Act: 51 Senators on S. 1406 / 269 Representatives on H.R. 1518 (320 total) Celebrity Endorsements 1. Alyssa Milano, actress, Charmed, Project Runway All- Stars 2. Priscilla Presley, film and TV actress, Dallas, The Naked Gun 3. Emmylou Harris, singer-songwriter and 12-time Grammy winner 4. Kesha, platinum recording singer-songwriter 5. Viggo Mortensen, actor, The Lord of the Rings 6. Wendie Malick, actress, Hot in Cleveland 7. Loretta Swit, stage and TV actress, MASH 8. Jillian Michaels, trainer on The Biggest Loser 9. Mark Miller, musician, Sawyer Brown 10. Lynn Anderson, singer-songwriter 11. Jenna Morasca, actress, model, grand prize winner of Survivor: The Amazon 12. Alexandra Paul, actress, Baywatch 13. Dawn Olivieri, film and TV actress, True Blood 14. Joe Camp, director of Benji films, author of Soul of a Horse 15. Kelly Carlson, actress, Nip/Tuck 16. Mary Ann Kennedy, singer-songwriter 17. Lacy J. Dalton, singer-songwriter

Mr. WHITFIELD

Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I claim time in opposition to the motion to recommit.

Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, if there was ever a motion to recommit that we don't need, it is this one. The entire purpose of the Electricity Security and Affordability Act, H.R. 3826, is to ensure that America remains competitive in the global marketplace by lowering electricity costs. The Energy Information Agency reported recently that 41 out of 50 States have higher electricity rates today than they did 4 years ago. Primarily, these electricity rates are going up because of the policies of the Obama administration. This act specifically allows in the future the opportunity to build a new coal-powered plant in America the way coal-powered plants are being built around the world. We don't anticipate one to be built as long as natural gas prices are low, but if they go up, as they have in Europe, we want the flexibility to build a coal-powered plant in America. The President talks frequently about an all-of-the-above energy policy, and yet, his policies, his regulations, his executive orders do not allow us to use as much coal. We simply want that flexibility. We are not mandating it, but it gives us additional flexibility. For that reason, I would ask us to defeat the motion to recommit and adopt H.R. 3826. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time. Partnership for a Better Energy Future, February 28, 2014. To the Members of the House of Representatives: The Partnership for a Better Energy Future (the Partnership), a coalition of more than 100 organizations representing over 80 percent of the U.S. economy, urges your support for H.R. 3826, the ``Electricity Security and Affordability Act,'' which is expected to receive a vote in the House next week. H.R. 3826 provides a more reasonable path forward in relation to the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) greenhouse gas (GHG) regulations, while also protecting jobs, economic growth and international competitiveness. The Partnership's fundamental mission is to promote an ``all-of-the-above'' energy strategy that ensures the continued availability of reliable and affordable energy for American families and businesses while also protecting the environment. Unfortunately, the EPA's proposed GHG regulations on new power plants fail to meet this test. The EPA has begun implementing a suite of new regulations designed to address GHG emissions from the electric power sector. By law, these regulations are supposed to be flexible and take into account cost and commercial availability; however, in practice the EPA's proposed GHG regulations have been the exact opposite. The very first regulation the EPA unveiled, which applies to new power plants, mandates technologies that are not yet commercially available-- effectively banning the construction of coal-fired power plants going forward. With similar regulations on existing power plants due in June, followed immediately by regulations on other energy-intensive industries, the EPA's heavy-handed approach is not an encouraging sign for the regulated community. H.R. 3826 provides a reasonable path forward for the EPA's power plant GHG regulations, allowing the agency to regulate while also protecting a diverse energy mix. For new power plants, the bill requires separate standards for coal and gas, with the coal standard subcategorized for coal types and aligned with the best-performing commercially available generation technologies. It provides a reasonable path forward for carbon dioxide capture and sequestration (CCS), prohibiting the EPA from mandating its use until the technology has been deployed by at least six units located at different commercial power plants in the United States--in other words, until it is truly ready. Finally, it allows the EPA to craft rules or guidelines for existing power plants, but requires Congress to review them and set a start date before they can take effect. The members of the Partnership support regulations that are cost-effective, technologically achievable and allow for a robust ``all-of-the-above'' energy strategy. H.R. 3826 would achieve these goals by allowing the EPA to regulate in a balanced, reasonable fashion. The Partnership urges your support for H.R. 3826. Sincerely, Air-Conditioning, Heating, and Refrigeration Institute; Alabama Automotive Manufacturer's Association; Alaska Chamber of Commerce; American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity; American Farm Bureau Federation; American Fuel and Petrochemical Manufacturers; American Knife Manufacturers Association; American Petroleum Institute; American Road and Transportation Builders Association; Arkansas State Chamber of Commerce; Associated Industries of Florida; Associated Industries of Missouri; Association of American Railroads; Automotive Recyclers Association; Balanced Energy for Texas; Baltimore Washington Corridor Chamber; Bettisworth North Architects and Planners; Bismarck-Mandan Chamber of Commerce; Brick Industry Association; Buckeye Power, Inc. California Cotton Ginners Association; California Cotton Growers Association; California Manufacturers & Technology Association; Colorado Association of Commerce and Industry; Consumer Energy Alliance; CropLife America; Dallas Regional Chamber; Electric Reliability Coordinating Council; Florida State Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; Forging Industry Association; Fort Worth Chamber of Commerce; Georgia Association of Manufacturers; Georgia Chamber of Commerce; Greater Houston Partnership; Greater North Dakota Chamber; Greater Phoenix Chamber of Commerce; Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce; Gulf Coast Lignite Coalition; Illinois Coal Association; Illinois Manufacturers' Association. Independent Petroleum Association of America; Indiana Chamber of Commerce; Indiana Manufacturers Association; Industrial Minerals Association--North America; Institute for 21st Century Energy; Iowa Association of Business and Industry; Kansas Chamber of Commerce; Kentucky Coal Association; Kerrville Area Chamber of Commerce; Longview Chamber of Commerce; Louisiana Association of Business and Industry; Lubbock Chamber of Commerce; Metals Service Center Institute; Michigan Manufacturers Association; Michigan Railroads Association; Midwest Food Processors Association Inc.; Minnesota Chamber of Commerce; Mississippi Manufacturers Association; Missouri Chamber of Commerce; Montana Chamber of Commerce. Myrtle Beach Chamber of Commerce; National Association of Home Builders; National Association of Manufacturers; National Cattlemen's Beef Association; National Marine Manufacturers Association; National Mining Association; National Oilseed Processors; Association; National Rural Electric Cooperative Association; Natural Gas Supply Association; Nebraska Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Non- Ferrous Founders' Society; North Carolina Chamber of Commerce; Oklahoma Railroad Association; Ohio Chamber of Commerce; Ohio Coal Association; Ohio Manufacturers' Association; Ohio Rural Electric Cooperatives, Inc.; Partnership for Affordable Clean Energy; Pennsylvania Coal Alliance; Pennsylvania Manufacturers Association. Portland Cement Association; Printing Industries of America; Railway Supply Industry, Inc.; Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council; South Carolina Chamber of Commerce; Southwest Louisiana Economic Development Alliance; SPI: The Plastics Industry Trade Association; Tennessee Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Texas Association of Business; Texas Cotton Ginners' Association; Texas Railroad Association; The Chamber of Sparks, Reno & Northern Nevada; The Fertilizer Institute; The Vinyl Institute; U.S. Chamber of Commerce; United Transportation Union; Valve Manufacturers Association of America; Virginia Chamber of Commerce; West Virginia Chamber of Commerce; Western Agricultural Processors Association; Wisconsin Industrial Energy Group Inc.; Wisconsin Manufacturers & Commerce; Wyoming Chamber Partnership.

Mr. WHITFIELD

Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 3826.

Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Chair, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chair, I rise this afternoon in support of H.R. 3826, the Electricity Security and Affordability Act. Recently, a constitutional law professor at George Washington University named Jonathan Turley issued a dire warning. Professor Turley said that he voted for President Obama in the last election, that he agrees philosophically with President Obama on many issues, but he said that, if left unchecked, the U.S. President could effectively become a government unto himself. He was referring to the fact that this President has been overly aggressive in the use of executive orders and regulations through various governmental agencies to accomplish his political goals. The reason that we are here today is, with this legislation, it is our hope that we can overturn one of the most extreme regulations of the Obama administration. In January of next year, it is anticipated that they will finalize a rule from EPA that will make it impossible to build a new coal-powered plant in America. That is hard to believe that that can be the situation in our great country, particularly since 40 percent of our electricity comes from coal. The reason that it would be impossible to build a new coal-powered plant because of these new EPA regulations is the fact that the emission standards have been set so high, and I might add that it is pretty clear that those emission standards, the way they were set, violates the Energy Security Act of 2005. We have written a letter to EPA setting out our concerns. They still have not responded to us. We have talked to lawyers throughout the country who are ready to file a lawsuit if this happens because it is impossible to believe that the three plants in America that used to set the emission standards for new coal-powered plants, none of those plants are in existence today. None of them are operating today. So our legislation, we believe, is a reasonable approach to a serious problem for America. I might add that 41 out of 50 States last year indicated that their electricity rates have gone up under the Obama administration. I know that the President is greatly concerned about the less fortunate in our society. He has talked a lot about the minimum wage bill, for example, but these electricity rates going up hit the most vulnerable in our society the most, particularly those on fixed incomes. Yet it is his policies that are driving up these electricity costs. So the legislation that we have on the floor today is very simple. First of all, it acknowledges for the first time by legislation that EPA can regulate greenhouse gases. This bill goes farther than any other bill has. So you can regulate greenhouse gases, but when you set the emissions standard, the unit must be in operation for a period of time. It must be commercially available to the utilities to buy it, as opposed to the proposed regulation in which the technology is simply not available. So our legislation, as I said, we don't anticipate a new coal-powered plant to be built anytime soon in America because our natural gas prices are so low. But in Europe, which it is acknowledged is the green sector of the world, they mothballed 30 gigawatts of gas-powered plants in the last 20 months because the gas prices coming from Russia are so expensive that it is raising their electricity rates to such an extent that it is damaging the area. With our legislation, if those gas prices go up, an option available to the American people, to the American utility sector, is they can go out and build a coal-powered plant with reasonable regulations. Then the second thing that our legislation does--and when I say ``our,'' I am talking about Senator Joe Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia, has introduced this bill in the U.S. Senate. I, along with Democratic support, was able to get it out of the Energy and Commerce Committee. So this debate is vitally important today because the President is going so fast, in such an extreme way, that it would make it impossible to use coal in America with a new plant, and we have never had a national debate on the issue. So today we can at least have this debate. The second thing that our legislation does applies to existing plants. EPA said they are going to regulate existing coal plants. We say go ahead and do it, set the standards, but Congress will set the effective date for that regulation. It is a very simple piece of legislation, one that I think is necessary to protect the American people and to ensure that America remains competitive in the global marketplace. In addition to that, I want to make one other comment. Emissions from the energy sector in America are the lowest, CO2 emissions are the lowest that they have been in 20 years. So America does not have to take a backseat to anyone on having a clean emission standard and regulation. With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Chairman, at this time I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from California (Mr. McCarthy), the majority whip.

Mr. WHITFIELD. I would just reiterate that America doesn't have to take a backseat to anyone on its emissions from energy sources. Our emissions today are lower than they were 20 years ago. Why should the U.S. unilaterally take this extreme position and other countries around the world, particularly in Europe and in Asia, are using coal and using coal, and we don't even have the flexibility to do that when they finalize this rule. So that is what we are up to today. At this time I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Rothfus).

Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Chairman, may I inquire as to how much time is remaining on both sides?

Mr. WHITFIELD. At this time, I yield 2 minutes to the gentlelady from Indiana (Mrs. Walorski).

Mr. WHITFIELD. At this time, I yield 2 minutes to the distinguished gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Rodney Davis).

Mr. WHITFIELD. I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Chairman, I can assure you we are not speaking from fear today. I can assure you we are not being parochial about coal. Coal is still the base load for this country--for manufacturing, industrial use, electricity at home, and for our ability to compete in the world. I have great admiration and respect for the gentleman from California, and I am sorry that he has made the decision to leave Congress after having a distinguished career, but I can tell you there is no power plant operating in America today that is using carbon capture and sequestration, because the technology is not available. Now, there are some plants being built with government support and would not be built without that government support, but they are not in operation. There is a difference. When scrubbers were mandated by the EPA, scrubbers were already being put in plants at private expense. The government didn't pay for those scrubbers. They were already being used. Unlike this proposed regulation, there is no technology available to meet the emission standard, so there is a significant difference in what has happened and what is being proposed. At this time, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Michigan (Mr. Upton), the distinguished chairman of the full Energy and Commerce Committee.

Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Chairman, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Renacci).