Ed Whitfield

But is there a specific----

Well, if this Tailoring act is ruled invalid, you will come under it and the only way that would be able to be stopped would be to change the law or stop appropriations in some way.

So, you're not making any significant plans on this?

Texas in this--on this regard has really been a leader in the Nation in meeting EPA standards.

They do not enforce it?

But there is a pending court case?

we cannot stand to simply sit by and we are going to reassert ourselves.

Ma'am, could you tell me the specific legal authority under the Clean Air Act that gives you the authority to say that the flexible permit is illegal?

If that's true, why did it take the EPA 16 years to take some action?

Well, would you do that for me, just to----

Congress has made its will very clear on this issue.

former President Clinton characterized it as ridiculous.

A Federal district court judge called the administration's actions unreasonable and unjustified.

we are getting 400,000 barrels a day of oil less than we currently had projected.

If you look at what is happening in the Gulf Coast, where over a third of America's domestic energy is produced, the President's policies are literally shutting this industry down.

That is encouraging because I guess we have only had two permits issued, and they were both for producing wells already so that is encouraging.

The title of our hearing today is, 'The American Energy Initiative.'

the Deepwater Horizon spill was a serious environmental disaster.

And I look forward to a time when the Gulf is thriving once again.

I am not straying from my support for safe nuclear energy as a vital component of America's present and future energy mix.

At this point I would like to recognize the gentleman from Texas, Mr. Burgess, for 5 minutes.

I think that is important that we talk about that because, obviously, safety is an important issue.

Our economy crumbled because Wall Street took high-risk investments and transformed them into safe-looking bonds.

Now more than ever the politically based policies must end. America does demand safe common sense solutions.

Well, thank you, Secretary Chu. And because of the event in Japan and Chernobyl and Three Mile Island and other events, the news media certainly is focused on what is happening in Japan and the impact that that would have on nuclear power…