Providing for Consideration of H.R. 351, LNG Permitting Certainty and Transparency Act
Floor Speech
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Mr. WEBER of Texas. Folks, the world is an inherently dangerous
place. Watch the news.
Think with me for a minute. When the world has a catastrophe--and it
doesn't matter whether it is a tsunami, an earthquake, whether it is
fire, pestilence, whether it is war--when the world has a catastrophe
and dials 911, who is it that answers?
It is America, isn't it? With our military.
It is America that answers that 911 call. Now, how do we do that?
It is because this country has the strongest, most stable, most
reliable, affordable energy capacity and capability in the world.
America is able to produce goods. I often say the things that make
America great are the things that America makes, and our fossil fuel
energy supply is what underwrites that.
You don't think that's right?
And I would argue that not only is it America's security; when
America is strong, the world is strong. You don't think fossil fuel
energy is important, try powering a tank or a jet plane with a solar
panel, Mr. Speaker. You won't get very far.
We must remain strong. As I said, for the world to be safe, America
has got to be strong. This rule and this bill, H.R. 351, are important
not only to America's economy but also our national security and, I
would argue, by extension, with the world depending on us,
international security.
Yes, we have a stable, long-lasting reliable source of energy here in
America. We have the opportunity to export that to our friends around
the globe and help them to be safe, help them to be productive.
We will produce American jobs in the process. We will improve our
balance of trade, as my friend from Corpus Christi said earlier.
LNG is helping not only with the economy, Mr. Speaker, but with
national and, by extension, international security.
I have three plants in my district. The permitting process needs to
be expedited and move forward. That is why I rise today in support of
the rule, in support of H.R. 351.
Two LNG facilities in my district and one more on the books. They
mean jobs. They mean security.
I urge my colleagues to support this rule, to support this bill, put
Americans to work, help America continue to be a leader, to be safe,
and, indeed, help keep this world safe.
I thank the gentleman, the chairman of the Rules Committee.
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Mr. WEBER of Texas. Thank you. Great questions.
I didn't talk about the fact that I have five ports in my district on
the Gulf Coast of Texas, more than any other Member of Congress. Some
have four. I have five LNG plants, LPG plants.
Sixty percent of the Nation's jet fuel is produced in my district, 60
percent of the Nation's jet fuel. An extremely large amount, a
classified amount of the military's fuel. They won't tell us how much,
but a large amount of the military's fuel.
Strategic petroleum reserves abound in my district. Again, we can't
find out how much, but it is a huge amount.
From a foreign affairs initiative--and I have been over to Japan, I
have been over to the Philippines, I have been to Hong Kong, South
Korea, Taiwan--they want our LNG. They would much rather buy it from us
than from the Russian bear.
Don't you know the people in Ukraine would much rather be dependent
on us because we are not a dictatorship, at least not supposed to be,
and we are not going to cut off their fuel because we have a
disagreement with the way the Russian separatists activate or believe?
So it is a foreign affairs, it is a foreign policy initiative. As I
said earlier, it helps make the world safer. It helps create jobs over
here. It helps with our balance of trade, or imbalance of trade. It is
an important issue, and it is one that bears supporting.
Support the rule, support this bill because it is not only important
for America from an energy perspective, from a security perspective,
but an international or world trade perspective, as well as world
security. For foreign policy, it matters.
I thank the gentleman from Texas.
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