The Hill Report: Week of July 14 - 18, 2008

Op-Ed

The Hill Report: Week of July 14 - 18, 2008

This week in Washington, instead of providing real solutions to our country's energy crisis, the Democrat Majority chose to bring more "no-energy" legislation to the House Floor.

For weeks now, Republicans have authored discharge petitions—procedural motions that would release effective energy legislation and force its consideration on the House Floor. Yet rather than taking this week's time to work in a constructive, bipartisan way to address domestic energy supply issues, Congress spent only 40 minutes debating legislation which would do nothing to bring down the cost of gasoline.

The bill brought forth yesterday, which House Members received very late the previous evening, served as nothing more than a restatement of current "Use-It-or-Lose-It" policy. Several weeks ago, the poorly-drafted Responsible Federal Oil and Gas Lease Act, which included this policy in its text, failed to pass in the House. In another attempt for its passage, the Majority brought forth the so-called Drill Act, which reapplies this same policy for oil-producing land, while also adding new restrictions on the construction of any new pipelines from Alaska to the United States.

The Drill Act's requirements do nothing to bring down prices at the pump—they would ultimately result in less production of American energy, which, in turn, would lead to higher gasoline prices. While the Drill Act was named to sound like pro-energy legislation, it really contains nothing but anti-production policy. For example, the legislation calls to develop the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, yet just this week the Bureau of Land Management made land available there for oil and crude leases.

While I am disappointed in the Democrats' choice to provide yet another "no-energy" bill on the House Floor, I am not surprised by their lack of leadership. Since taking control of Congress in 2007, the Majority has done nothing to address the domestic supply issues that have created the skyrocketing gas, diesel and energy costs American families are facing. Instead, they choose to pass legislation such as H.R. 415, which designates the Taunton River as a component of the National Wild and Scenic River System. While this bill may seem benign, this designation will block the development of a proposed LNG plant along the river—further limiting energy development capacity in New England.

In the face of such pressing energy challenges, I am committed to working with my colleagues to increase our domestic energy supply. Though no Members from the Majority have joined us, Republicans remain steadfast in our efforts to call for votes on effective energy legislation. This week, our party released a discharge petition to schedule a vote on the Fuel Mandate Reduction Act (H.R. 2493), legislation to reduce the price of gasoline by eliminating fuel blend requirements and government mandates that add to high gas prices.

I strongly oppose the political games the Majority has chosen to play—Members from both sides of the aisle must begin to work together to give the American people the energy reform they expect and deserve.

Texas Leadership Forum in Washington, DC
This past week, I had the pleasure of joining Congressman Louie Gohmert in (R-Tyler) in welcoming the Texas Leadership Forum (TLF), a program of the Today Foundation, for a week-long educational conference in Washington, DC. Gary Griffith, President of the Today Foundation, came along with the students to facilitate and participate in activities.

TLF provides select students from schools in disadvantaged areas with a unique inside view of national government operations and public policy debates. Participants included 12 students from six North Texas high schools as well as four students from two East Texas high schools. Each student is selected based upon his or her academic performance, community involvement and leadership ability, and application requirements include a resume, two one-page essays and a letter of recommendation by a teacher, principal, counselor or community leader.

Events from the week included educational tours and meetings at the White House, the Secret Service Headquarters, the Department of Education, and the Taiwanese Embassy (TECRO). During the week, students observed House committee hearings and attended private speaking forums featuring several Washington leaders, including Education Secretary Margaret Spellings and Former FBI Director Judge William S. Sessions. In addition to business and policy meetings, the students had personal interaction with several Members of Congress and met with one of our Texas senators, the Honorable Kay Bailey Hutchison.

A "Welcome Home" Reception for the returning TLF students will be hosted tomorrow evening by Southwest Airlines, a primary sponsor of the program. The reception will be held at Love Field Airport, and I will have the honor of speaking to students and their families about the significance of TLF and the Today Foundation.

I value the opportunity to discover the perspectives and aspirations of young citizens in my district, and I applaud their perseverance, discernment, and quest for learning that has enabled them to advance in their community and excel in the Texas Leadership Forum. The business tools and leadership skills they have developed will serve them well in their future educational and professional goals, and I look forward to hearing of their continued success.

TLF seeks to foster civic involvement, leadership and character building in high school students while educating them about government and public policy. For more information about the Texas Leadership Forum and the Today Foundation, please visit www.todayfoundation.org.

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