On the recordFebruary 15, 2012
Mr. Chairman, the gentleman from Washington I respect a great deal, but to say this is redundant of current law is just incorrect. The gentleman knows, and in fact told us, that the requirement he referred to is in regulations. Mr. Chairman, for anyone who has watched what's gone on in this body, in this Congress, it has been this House of Representatives that has brought to the floor bill after bill after bill to give this Congress the ability to repeal regulations and to block regulations. I don't want to have to rely on what's in regulations. If we believe in American jobs, and the suggestion that somehow the American jobs in the energy industry are more important than the American jobs in the tourism industry and the shrimpers and the people in tourism who realize every day the opportunity to provide for their families because of the beautiful, pristine coastline that we have in Florida and because of all that surrounds the environment in the other States in the gulf, to suggest that those are somehow less important than energy jobs is inappropriate. But more than that, I don't want to have to rely on regulations, Mr. Chairman. If we are committed to ensuring that there is an analysis of what would happen in the worst case, then let's put it in the law. Let's put it in the statute. Let's not rely on the regulations that my friends so often blame on these bureaucrats for writing. Let's not rely on them.…





