Steven Holt: “I thank the chairman of the committee again for bringing forward this bipartisan legislation, and I rise in strong…”

“I thank the chairman of the committee again for bringing forward this bipartisan legislation, and I rise in strong opposition to this amendment. The Federal Helium Reserve is in rapid decline. It is being exhausted. At the current drawdown rate, in 5 or 6 or 7 years the helium in the reserve will be largely depleted. The amendment by Mr. Dent seeks to run out the clock on this legislation to allow the existing regime to stand and prevent the reforms that H.R. 527 would bring forward. H.R. 527 does not alter or end the contracts that the refiners have with the Bureau of Land Management, but if we do nothing and allow the gentleman's amendment to go forward, under existing law and terms of those contracts, the entire helium program would come to an end in October of 2013--this year. The amendment would delay the implementation of the reforms in the bill until 2018 at which time it is likely there would be little helium left to distribute to anyone, to the hospitals and the doctors who need it, to the electronics manufacturers who need it, to the scientists and researchers who need it. This amendment would gut the bipartisan reforms of the bill, and it should be defeated. Although the gentleman claims he wants to prevent disruption in the supply, by preventing this legislation, he would in fact do just that. He would create disruptions in the supply.”