Protecting States' Rights to Promote American Energy Security Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. FLORES. Mr. Chairman, this bill will put the House on record in support of the shale energy boom, more American jobs, and lower energy prices, all of which are a direct result of hydraulic fracturing technology.

For the average American family last year, the shale energy boom meant $1,200 per family in lower energy bills. During our slow economic recovery, it has been

the lone bright spot responsible for creating the most new jobs, both in energy and in manufacturing.

States have been effectively regulating fracturing on Federal, State, and private lands for over 50 years, and the States oppose the Federal Government trying to overrule their expertise. There is no demonstrated need for the Federal Government to waste taxpayer money by duplicating and complicating State efforts. The only reason for the Federal Government to get involved is to placate those who oppose the shale energy revolution and the jobs boom that has come from it. I hear the arguments:

First, they will say that States might have insufficient regulations. The facts are that all States that produce oil and gas have comprehensive rules and regulations to ensure that hydraulic fracturing is done safely. Moreover, there are many Federal laws that will continue to apply to energy development, and this bill will not change those.

Second, they argue that the Federal Government should be able to apply any rules and regulations it wants on Federal land. Well, for instance, States already effectively manage the wildlife and the water on Federal lands. Yet the environmental concern surrounding fracturing is water protection, and water protection authorities have always been the purview of the States.

Third, the proponents of Federal regulation argue that the administration will not expand the Department of the Interior rule to State and to private lands. Instead of embracing the booming shale energy production, this administration has directed over 10 Federal agencies to look for ways to override State rules in this regard.

Energy is a key economic input to a more prosperous future for all Americans. H.R. 2728 stops the Federal Government from more Federal regulation encroachment on State water authorities and potential infringement on State and private lands.

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Mr. FLORES. I thank Chairman Hastings for his assistance in moving this legislation through his committee and the bill's co-lead, Mr. Cuellar.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on H.R. 2728 and support the American manufacturing renaissance, lower energy costs, and American jobs.

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Mr. FLORES. Mr. Chairman, I am disappointed in my good friend from Texas' comments, especially in light of the fact that there are a significant number of jobs in his district and in Texas that are powered by natural gas that comes from the shale energy revolution.

My friend from Texas undoubtedly knows that the Federal Government takes 10 times as long to issue a permit as does the State of Texas for energy activities, and I wouldn't want to have the Federal Government add another layer of complexity to that.

We are not plowing new ground with my bill. The Federal Government already defers to the States on the management of wildlife and water on Federal lands.

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Mr. FLORES. Mr. Chairman, I rise to offer a simple amendment today that makes technical and clarifying corrections to H.R. 2728. My amendment also calls on State regulators to provide their hydraulic fracturing and chemical disclosure requirement regulations to BLM for public disclosure.

States have the expertise in carefully crafting hydraulic fracturing regulations that meet the unique geologic and hydrologic needs of their States. This bottom-up regulatory relationship between the States and the Federal Government is one of the reasons that we are able to enjoy the vast economic benefits of the shale energy boom.

These changes will ensure that the cooperative and transparent State-driven regulatory approach to energy activity will continue. The energy shale boom is driving our economic recovery, and we need to keep the Federal Government from slowing down energy production on taxpayer owned Federal lands with duplicative regulations and unnecessary red tape.

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Mr. FLORES. I thank Mr. Renacci for his comments.

Again, this is a simple amendment in response to feedback I received during the past few weeks.

Again, the American energy shale revolution is completely dependent on hydraulic fracturing. Without this evolving technology, job creation, growth in manufacturing, lower energy prices, and lower greenhouse gas emissions would all stop. All the benefits our Nation is experiencing today would stop.

I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes'' on the amendment and ``yes'' on the underlying legislation.

I reserve the balance of my time.

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Mr. FLORES. Mr. Speaker, this should be pretty easy.

In my earlier amendment that was approved by voice vote today, we addressed the concerns raised by the gentleman from California, so let's move on down the road and vote for American jobs and American energy.

A vote today for H.R. 2728 is a vote to regain our Nation's position as the world's leading energy producer, a product of the shale energy boom.

Thanks to shale energy, middle class manufacturing jobs are returning to the U.S. after generations of decline. Thanks to shale energy, our Nation's production is a huge blow to unstable and unfriendly areas like Russia and the Middle East, who previously dictated the world supply of energy.

Just last year, shale energy supported 2.1 million jobs. Turning our backs on the shale energy boom now would cause the Federal Government to lose up to $1.6 trillion in revenues over the next decade and a half.

I would repeat: the issue that was raised in the motion to recommit was already in my amendment that was passed by voice vote earlier today.

Mr. Speaker, lower energy costs for American families, a cleaner environment, an increase in American manufacturing jobs, and domestic energy security would all be lost without the underlying bill.

I urge my colleagues to oppose this motion to recommit and to support abundant, safe, and clean energy through the Protecting States' Rights to Promote American Energy Security Act. Vote ``yes'' for American jobs.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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