Reliable Home Heating Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, as described by my good friend and colleague, the chairman of the Highways and Transit Subcommittee, S. 2086 automatically suspends Federal Motor Carrier Safety rules for up to 90 days after a Governor of an affected State declares a state of emergency due to a shortage of residential heating fuel.

Mr. Speaker, it is true that last winter there were parts of the United States which experienced extraordinarily cold temperatures and extreme winter weather. I hate to predict this, but until we do something about climate change, we are going to see these vast contrasts of the kind we have never experienced before. At that time, of course, if people are experiencing unusually cold weather, there is going to be a demand for propane and other home heating fuels.

I also, of course, fully support maximum flexibility to ensure timely delivery of fuel to heat homes across the country, and certainly in a time of crisis. In fact, the House acted swiftly in March during that crisis to pass Chairman Shuster's HHEATT Act, H.R. 4076, but of course today most of the country is in the middle of a heat wave.

Most of the States have their eyes looking elsewhere. They are watching the Congress to see when we will shore up the highway trust fund. They are running out of money. Already they have slowed up their investments. And of course, in a matter of just a few weeks, we will be running on empty on the highway trust fund.

But I was not asked to come to the floor today to ensure that construction projects around the country employing hundreds of thousands of Americans will continue to be reimbursed so that workers can stay on the job and communities can upgrade their infrastructure. I was asked to come to the floor today to pass an exemption for home heating fuel, even though it is close to 90 degrees outside in much of the country.

Last winter, during the actual time of emergency, FMCSA acted promptly to issue exemptions to allow truck drivers delivering home heating fuels to drive for additional hours to get supplies to customers as quickly as possible. Then they acted promptly to extend the exemptions after the initial 30-day period.

Therefore, I must say I do not see any evidence of why this legislation is needed or warranted. Further, by automatically waiving motor carrier rules for up to 90 days, the legislation removes any safety consideration from the exemption decision.

Mr. Speaker, our surface transportation system has pressing needs, as I speak, that require congressional action in the immediate term--yesterday, perhaps. Instead, we keep coming to the floor to chip away at truck safety rules?

I will not oppose the legislation under consideration, but I do believe calling up this legislation today is unnecessary and unproductive while we are staring at a deadline--and I must say, I think it is more aptly called an emergency every day--for replenishing the highway trust fund.

With that, I reserve the balance of my time.

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Ms. NORTON. Mr. Speaker, I don't know about global warming, but virtually every scientist with any expertise agrees that climate change is occurring, not just in the colder parts of the country, but all over the world. The only debate now is whether it is too late and whether we can manage it, not whether it is occurring.

If the gentleman thinks it was cold in Wisconsin last winter, let us keep delaying doing anything on climate change and let's see if he will be in a position to do anything for his constituents.

I remind the Speaker that every time there has been a need, the Department of Transportation has not only acted, it has acted promptly. That is what an administrative agency is for. That is why we have administrative agencies. You can't keep running to the floor where you need two Houses in order to deal with a crisis.

Nevertheless, we do not oppose this legislation, but we do think it is our duty to remind the House that there is an emergency pending and that, if we go home certainly for August recess without attending to it, the bottom will fall out of the highway trust fund.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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