On the recordJuly 19, 2017
I thank Chairman Upton and Mr. Flores for the work that they have done on this piece of legislation. Mr. Flores spoke of the need to do this and why it is so important for us to begin to simplify and clean up the rules and the regulation process so that we do provide certainty not only for our constituents, but also for industry. In addition to that, Mr. Chairman, what we do is to provide hope to millions of workers who work in the energy sector. I want to read from a letter of support. This is from the International Union of Operating Engineers. They sent a letter in support of Mr. Flores' bill, and it gets right to the heart of the issue. ``Domestic energy production provides good-paying jobs for members of the IUOE and other construction craftworkers and continues to employ thousands of our members. Uncertainty and delay during environmental reviews, however, hinder the growth of jobs related to the Nation's energy infrastructure. Congress should give FERC additional tools to keep Federal agencies accountable and maximum coordination in the permitting process.'' Mr. Chairman, this is from individuals who work in this energy sector, who understand the vital importance of having a secure, safe, and stable energy supply. They are individuals who want to see growth in this industry. They also want to make certain that we do this in the appropriate way--as we have done, as H.R. 2910 does--to respect individual and private property works. The CHAIR.…
