Adaption to Changing Crude Oil Markets - Maritime Security Program ammendment

Floor Speech

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Mr. AMASH. Mr. Chairman, my amendment removes a new section of the
bill added by the Committee on Rules that increases funding for the
Maritime Security Program by $500 million. My amendment does not
eliminate the program. It simply keeps it at its current authorization
level.

Just last week the House passed the conference report for the
National Defense Authorization Act. This defense policy bill,
negotiated at length between House and Senate conferees, increases the
annual subsidy for Maritime Security Program participants from $3.1
million per vessel to $3.5 million per vessel, a 12.9 percent increase.
The provision, added quietly by the Committee on Rules, circumvents
regular order and increases funding even more.

As amended, H.R. 702 boosts per-vessel payments to $5 million per
year, increasing the subsidy by a whopping 42 percent. The proper place
for a discussion on funding for the Maritime Security Program is in a
defense bill like the NDAA, not as part of a bill that lifts a ban on
crude oil exports.

This spending increase is all the more reckless, given our more than
$18 trillion national debt. According to the Congressional Budget
Office, lifting the export ban will increase receipts from Federal oil
and gas leases by $1.4 billion over the next 10 years. We should use
those receipts to reduce the deficit.

Mr. Chairman, there are two ways we should amend bills. The first way
is to go through the normal committee process, by introducing
amendments during a markup. Members have the opportunity to debate and
vote on amendments in the committee of jurisdiction. We should respect
the work committees do by not altering the bills they report before we
even consider the legislation on the House floor.

The second way is to offer an amendment when the bill comes up for
debate on the House floor. This gives all Representatives the
opportunity to participate in the debate and represent their
constituents by voting on the measure. Unfortunately, the Committee on
Rules changed this bill behind closed doors late last week.

The Maritime Security Program is a defense-related program that has
nothing to do with oil exports or energy production. This provision has
no place in H.R. 702, and its eleventh-hour addition by the Committee
on Rules is the latest example of our broken legislative process.
Mr. Chairman, we must protect this institution and the legislative
process. Adding an unrelated provision to this bill behind closed doors
is no way to legislate.

I urge all Members to vote ``yes'' on my amendment to remove this
unrelated $500 million spending increase so we can consider H.R. 702 as
reported by the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

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Mr. AMASH. Mr. Chairman, this amendment is about process. I recognize
the concerns of my colleague. This should be handled in the NDAA or in
a defense bill.

I urge all Members to support my amendment eliminating this $500
million increase in spending and reject the Rules Committee's eleventh-
hour revision that has nothing to do with crude oil exports.
I yield back the balance of my time.

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