Boehner Column: Expanding Energy Production, Improving Infrastructure, and Helping Get Ohioans Back To Work

Statement

Today, Congressman John Boehner (R-West Chester) released the following column discussing House Republican's American Energy & Infrastructure Jobs Act:

"Recently, President Obama held a campaign-style rally in Ohio touting his "jobs' plan in front of the Brent Spence Bridge. Ironically, neither his plan nor his "pass the bill' "we can't wait' rhetoric will help the Brent Spence get the repairs it needs or help get Ohioans working again. The Obama administration's costly short-term fixes have done little to improve America's infrastructure and even less to create new American jobs.

"So rather than add new "stimulus' spending, higher taxes, or more needless regulations, House Republicans will soon introduce the latest component of our Plan for America's Job Creators: an energy reform and infrastructure jobs bill called the American Energy & Infrastructure Jobs Act.

"The American Energy & Infrastructure Jobs Act links new American energy production to high-priority infrastructure projects. It will do two things to support long-term job growth: expand American energy production and use those revenues to repair and improve America's roads and bridges. Here's how.

"First, this bill will help create American jobs by eliminating some of the unnecessary government barriers that prevent our country from utilizing its vast energy resources. For example, lifting President Obama's drilling ban on new offshore areas and opening less than three percent of ANWR's 19 million acres that was set aside for oil and natural gas development.

"Second, expanded energy production will help lower fuel prices, and provide a new revenue stream for our infrastructure needs. As we develop new sources of American energy, we're going to need modern infrastructure to bring that energy to the market. And as American energy production increases so too will the revenue for high-priority infrastructure projects.

"Third, the bill will speed up environmental and bureaucratic approvals -- the real hurdles delaying improvements to the Brent Spence Bridge and other projects -- with reforms like concurrent review that will cut the project review and permitting process in half.

"And fourth, it's fiscally responsible. The bill will include reforms to ensure dollars are spent on the highest priority projects, not diverted to frivolous purposes as they have been in recent decades. And like every bill we've passed through the House since the American people entrusted Republicans with a majority, this one will have no earmarks in it.

"Expanding energy production is a common-sense way to help create new jobs, lower energy prices, and improve our infrastructure. Instead of just spending money on another expensive short-term scheme, this bill will support real long-term job creation by helping lower energy prices for American families and small businesses, and provide more resources, more quickly for the highest priority infrastructure projects.

"Lean more about the American Energy Infrastructure & Jobs Act and our efforts to encourage job creation by visiting my website johnboehner.house.gov."

Boehner represents Ohio's 8th District, which includes all of Darke, Miami, and Preble counties, most of Butler and Mercer counties, and the northeastern corner of Montgomery County. He was first elected to Congress in 1990.

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