Lois Capps: “The legislation we are considering today undermines the ability of the Federal Government to continue protecting our…”

“The legislation we are considering today undermines the ability of the Federal Government to continue protecting our Nation's air, land, and waters. I intended to offer an amendment, along with my colleague from Massachusetts (Mr. Markey) and my colleague from New Jersey (Mr. Holt), to fully fund the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement, fully fund the national agency in charge of regulating offshore oil and gas drilling. Unfortunately, due to changes by the Republican leadership to the House budget process, we weren't allowed to offer this amendment. Mr. Chairman, it's been over a year since the Nation's worst offshore oil spill. And I think our constituents would be surprised to learn that rather than taking action to prevent another deadly spill, this House continues to talk about expanding offshore drilling while sidestepping environmental laws to do so. They would also be surprised to learn that the underlying bill blocks the bureau's ability to collect inspection fees, and, as a result, the agency would see a $35 million cut in their budget. Mr. Chairman, in his fiscal year 2012 budget request, President Obama asked for a significant increase for the bureau over his 2010 budget. He asked for this new money to hire additional inspectors, to enhance environmental reviews, and to enforce strengthened regulations. If we recall a year ago and the events following the spill, we will understand why this is the case.…”