Jack Bergman: “I am here today to offer my amendment to H.R. 7023. Michigan's First District is home to more than 2,000 miles of Great…”

“I am here today to offer my amendment to H.R. 7023. Michigan's First District is home to more than 2,000 miles of Great Lakes coastline. It is by far the most of any congressional district, and it touches three of the five Great Lakes. For those of us who call Michigan home, the Great Lakes play an invaluable role for our natural ecosystems, communities, economies, and our general way of life. Protecting our lakes is a unifying goal that crosses all political lines. My amendment is simple. It would clarify that nothing in this legislation would affect the longstanding ban on oil and gas drilling in the Great Lakes under the Energy Policy Act of 2005. To be clear, I don't believe a reasonable reading of H.R. 7023 would directly lead to drilling activities in our Great Lakes. Nonetheless, if there is one thing I have learned in my years in the military and here in Congress, Mr. Chair, you can't always trust the Federal bureaucracy to do the reasonable and right thing. The vital importance of the Great Lakes to those of us who live near them demands certainty and security. This is a concrete assurance that these protections, which have wide bipartisan support, will stay in place. This is especially true when we are discussing permitting under the Clean Water Act, including for energy producers. With this protection included, H.R.…”