Bill Johnson

So is it safe to say that, contrary to what Director Pizarchik told members of this Committee 2 weeks ago about the 2008 stream buffer zone rule being a rollback, that is false?

This, to me, is, frankly, as I said, shocking and alarming, that the Administration asked you to make false assumptions.

I am both shocked and alarmed at your verbal testimony and your written testimony that has been entered into the record.

I am hoping to help be a driver of change influencing better technology and also convincing my environmental friends that the time has come to stop catalyzing wars for oil overseas by blocking domestic hydrocarbons.

This is a shame on so many levels as this industry holds the key for economic and national security.

The federal government has no skill in managing the lands containing oil shale let alone determining what the technology should and shouldn't be.

Let me be clear, we welcome reasonable environmental planning to the table of planning the oil shale industry, but I think more emphasis going forward will be placed on American lives, American jobs and stopping our wars overseas for oil.

What I believe the American people are seeing clearly now is that perhaps it is our fellow countrymen and countrywomen serving us in the armed forces that are rare, precious and endangered.

The second largest economic strength of the United States of America, second only to income taxes is the money we receive from revenues, the royalties from oil and natural gas production of American resources.

Virginia is one of the only States that has a comprehensive energy plan.

I guess I am like the average American that wonders why in the world America isn't harvesting its own resources to meet its own energy needs.

It seems to me that there is just a pattern of mismanagement on this rulemaking by OSM.

Its amazing to me that we have grown into a society that protects sage grouse more than American soldiers.

It astounded us; after all of the hard work that had gone through so much, after all the taxpayers' dollars we expended to get Virginia into the position it is in, to find out it has been wiped out, and so we are back up here saying…

A majority of Americans support increased offshore drilling.

Increased energy production is one of the best ways to help jump start our economy.

According to the Obama Administration's own independent analysis, the rewrite of the rule could eliminate up to 27,000 direct and indirect jobs associated with the coal industry.

Now, I wish I didn't have to introduce this legislation, but it is necessary to stop one aspect of the Administration's continued war on coal.

The Obama Administration has actively sought ways to put an end to the coal industry through onerous regulations and activist rulemaking.

On Monday, I introduced H.R. 3409, the Coal Miner Employment and Domestic Energy Infrastructure Protection Act.

These proposals to allow new offshore and onshore energy production will generate substantial revenues.

It is well past time to open a small portion, less than 3 percent, of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to responsible energy production.

There is no reason why we should not provide access to our own energy resources here.

I am absolutely clear that we are staying within the bounds of the law.

That is what we are trying to give you here.