Expanding Access to Sustainable Energy Act of 2019

Floor Speech

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Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I have amendments en bloc at the desk.

Mr. Speaker, this en bloc amendment contains a number of important amendments from within the jurisdiction of the Energy and Commerce Committee that will improve the underlying bill. I know some of the sponsors will be here to talk about their amendments in particular. I rise today in support of my amendments to H.R. 4447.

Mr. Speaker, as Members of Congress, we have a responsibility to ensure that every man, woman, and child in this country has access to clean air to breathe and safe water to drink. We also have a responsibility to help lead this Nation in doing its part to stave off the worst impacts of the climate crisis.

For far too long now, we as a body have failed at those responsibilities, and, as a result, millions of Americans are living in areas that are suffering from large amounts of pollution, and the threat that we face from climate change is growing day by day.

Right in my district, I have communities like Swansea, Elyria, and Globeville, where residents have been suffering for years from large amounts of pollution that are produced by nearby plants. These communities, at-risk communities, environmental justice communities, are bearing the brunt of our failures.

And so the amendments that I am introducing today seek to address this injustice.

The first amendment would require the EPA to identify 100 communities across this country most affected by nearby sources of pollution and work to clean them up.

The second amendment that I have included in the bill would limit the amount of methane gas that oil drillers are allowed to release into our atmosphere from public lands. When we, as a nation, fail to enact measures like these, it is often the poorest among us who suffer the most.

Therefore, I urge my colleagues to do the right thing, to help address these crises by supporting my amendments and all of the rest of the amendments included in this en bloc amendment.

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Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I am now pleased to yield 2 minutes to the gentlewoman from Pennsylvania (Ms. Wild).

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Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I would just say that the debate has been brief, but the substance of this en bloc amendment is large--many amendments designed in totality to deal with climate change to help our environment and to help make sure that we support disadvantaged communities in this country and communities affected by environmental justice issues.

So I would just urge a ``yes'' vote on this en bloc amendment, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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Ms. DeGETTE. Mr. Speaker, I have reviewed the motion to recommit, and I must say to the gentleman, I certainly agree with the concept that the gentleman from Oklahoma says is in this motion to recommit, but, tragically, a reading of the motion shows that that is just not true.

The gentleman says that he is trying to stop foreign powers from getting control over our intellectual property, but if you look at this amendment, it basically gives ultimate power to the administration to decide who is at risk and who shall not be or shall be allowed to be certified.

Section A(1) here says these technologies will not be transferred if it is determined to be at risk to the Secretary of Energy in consultation with others.

At risk for what? At risk to whom? We simply don't know by reading this. And what it could do is it could exempt entities that, for example, have investments by U.S. Government officials or relatives of U.S. Government officials. We just don't know. And what it is is just a power grab by the administration.

We agree with the concept. We shouldn't be allowing intellectual property to be transferred to foreign governments, but that is not what this motion to recommit does. That is why we should all oppose the motion to recommit, and we should, of course, all vote ``yes'' on the Clean Economy Jobs and Innovation Act.

What this bill does is it makes long-overdue reforms to U.S. energy policy, and it authorizes major investments in the transition to a low- carbon future, which we so desperately need.

We saw from all of the amendments that we passed, Democratic and Republican amendments that we passed today, how this bill, together, can really usher in a new era for American innovation, serve as a down payment on comprehensive climate action, and can also create jobs and stimulate our economy.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of our Members to take a close look at this motion to recommit and see what the real damage it could do will be.

Vote ``no'' on the motion to recommit, and vote ``yes'' for clean energy jobs and innovation.

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