Domestic Energy and Jobs Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. COHEN. Thank you, Mr. Rush. I appreciate the time.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to H.R. 4480. This is a bill that is totally a giveaway to Big Oil.

The fact is, if we want to be energy independent, we can't drill our way to energy independence. We can get there by having alternative green energies that will create jobs and make us independent. We can have wind and solar, and we can have higher fuel standards for automobiles. That's the best thing we can do is reduce the demand for oil by having higher fuel standards, which we don't have in this bill. Regarding the price of oil and making ourselves energy independent, it's not going to happen.

My colleagues on the other side--at least some of them--have for quite a while, about 2 or 3 months ago, blamed the rising prices of gasoline on President Obama. Gasoline has come down considerably since that time. Has one person had the veracity, the bipartisanship to say, Mr. President, thank you for bringing the price of oil down?

No, they haven't, because the President didn't bring the price of oil down, just like he didn't take the price of oil up. It's political rhetoric to say he caused the prices to go up, and it would be wrong to say he brought them down.

There are world markets, demand in China, demand in India, demand even in Bangkok; and those demands have put the price of oil up. The situation in Iran with Israel has created concerns about the future of oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz. Because of that, prices went up. That situation has been rectified.

This bill is only a giveaway to Big Oil. It threatens people's First Amendment rights because it says they have to put up a $5,000 bond simply to protest. It threatens jobs. In many industries--the outdoors industry--it threatens public health and people's opportunity to be free from air pollution. It threatens hunting, fishing, and recreation and grazing because it violates the multiple-use doctrines established in the Federal Land Policy and Management Act.

This is not a good bill for America. And to be energy independent, we need to find green energy and green jobs.

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