Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2012

Floor Speech

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Mrs. CAPPS. Mr. Chairman, the legislation we are considering today undermines the ability of the Federal Government to continue protecting our Nation's air, land, and waters.

I intended to offer an amendment, along with my colleague from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey) and my colleague from New Jersey (Mr. Holt), to fully fund the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, fully fund the national agency in charge of regulating offshore oil and gas drilling. Unfortunately, due to changes by the Republican leadership to the House budget process, we weren't allowed to offer this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, it's been over a year since the Nation's worst offshore oil spill. And I think our constituents would be surprised to learn that rather than taking action to prevent another deadly spill, this House continues to talk about expanding offshore drilling while sidestepping environmental laws to do so. They would also be surprised to learn that the underlying bill blocks the bureau's ability to collect inspection fees, and, as a result, the agency would see a $35 million cut in their budget.

Mr. Chairman, in his fiscal year 2012 budget

request, President Obama asked for a significant increase for the bureau over his 2010 budget. He asked for this new money to hire additional inspectors, to enhance environmental reviews, and to enforce strengthened regulations. If we recall a year ago and the events following the spill, we will understand why this is the case.

While this request was a significant increase over prior years, the administration proposed to offset nearly half of the request by increasing the inspection fees on offshore rigs. This was a key recommendation of the President's bipartisan, independent national oil spill commission.

In their final report, the commissioners recommended the industry fees should be increased to, and I quote from their report, "provide adequate leasing capabilities and regulatory oversight for the increasingly complex energy-related activities being undertaken on the OCS.''

Our straightforward amendment adopts this key recommendation to provide the funding needed for government regulators to do their jobs, and it will ensure a safer and more environmentally responsible industry.

Mr. Chairman, knowing what we know now, if we continue to allow offshore drilling in U.S. waters, the government has a responsibility to ensure that they are protecting us against a repeat of last year's disaster. And if oil and gas corporations want the opportunity to drill, it's only fair for them to help cover the cost of ensuring it's done properly, that their workers are protected, and the surrounding ocean is safe. But, ultimately, Congress holds the purse strings, and we must require these corporations to step up so the bureau can ensure that the people, communities, economies, and environment in the gulf, Alaska, and off the southern California coast are sufficiently protected against a spill.

Whether or not we have an agency capable of properly regulating the oil and gas industry is dependent upon our decisions. Without these fees, taxpayers, rather than the industry, would have to shoulder the costs of these operations.

If we want to ensure safe and responsible energy development, we must put the lessons learned from the BP oil disaster to use.

I urge my colleagues to vote down this bill which blocks the bureau's ability to collect inspection fees. It's what is needed so we do not have to endure a repeat of the horrific disaster that is still inflicting pain and damage to the Gulf of Mexico and to those who make their living from it.

What a terrible legacy of this Congress that we have done so little following the gulf oil disaster. What a legacy should, God forbid, a future disaster take place and we would have remembered that on our watch we could have done something about it.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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