John Rice Carter: “I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1426, the Timely Review of…”

“I thank the gentleman for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1426, the Timely Review of Infrastructure Act. Simply put, this is a commonsense bill to address how employees are commended for their work at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, or FERC. It is well known that there is a backlog of work at FERC due to a shortage of qualified personnel to handle the requirements. When energy developers need to submit applications for approval at FERC, they are often delayed due to a lack of available personnel to review the project. The United States has finally reached a level of energy independence that we could never have dreamed of during the OPEC oil embargo. However, that development is often subject to the timeliness and availability of approvals at FERC. This bill will ensure that the retention and recruiting of people at FERC will remain highly competitive, bringing in the people they need to do the job. One area of serious concern was the number of pending LNG applications waiting at FERC. Thankfully, we have a bipartisan bill that can turn things around. I thank my good friend from Texas 22, Pete Olson, who is, unfortunately, leaving this body after years of distinguished service. But this is a good way to reflect on all of his great work. We will miss my friend from Texas, and I do wish him well. Also, I thank my colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee for their work on this important legislation. Mr.…”