Domestic Energy and Jobs Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. RIGELL. Mr. Chairman, this is a job-creating amendment. It reflects the wisdom and truly the will of the good folks of the Commonwealth of Virginia, and specifically within the great district that I have the privilege of serving and representing, the Second Congressional District of Virginia.

The House of Delegates of the Commonwealth of Virginia have made it clear that they really believe we need to move forward with coastal Virginia energy. The same is true of the Virginia Senate. And just today, we received a letter of strong support from Governor McDonnell, of which I'm very grateful for his support of this amendment. It has tremendous opportunity to put folks to work.

In this very Chamber, Mr. Chairman, I recall vividly our President, President Obama, saying that he was an all-of-the-above President, and I truly think I was one of the first to leap to my feet in full support. We have really failed the American people over the last many decades in moving this country toward energy independence. So I leapt to my feet. I was clapping. Yet I'm unable to reconcile what he's saying with the painful reality--and Virginia, too.

There's a full moratorium on the responsible exploration and harvesting of Virginia's coastal Virginia energy. In my view, Mr. Chairman, this is a full moratorium on job creation, and that means there's a full moratorium on the tax revenues that we need for healthier schools and better roads. So this amendment is directed right at that to break through and create action where, at present, there's a full moratorium.

The way the amendment works is very simple. It requires the Secretary of the Interior to include Virginia in the 5-year oil and leasing plan. My amendment requires the Secretary of the Interior to conduct Lease Sale 220 within 1 year of enactment.

Again, the word that comes to my mind is ``action''--``definitive action.'' This is what the American people want. This is what the good folks of Virginia's Second Congressional District want. It helps, in part, to move us away from the dependence on countries for our oil, many of which their values are diametrically opposed to ours, and we can do this in an environmentally responsible way.

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Mr. RIGELL. I thank the chairman for his support. I urge my colleagues to join us in supporting this bill. These are life-changing jobs. There's tremendous potential, and we can do this in a very environmentally responsible way.

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