Henry Cuellar: “I am here, of course, to talk about an amendment to H.R. 702, this important legislation before us that will lift this…”

“I am here, of course, to talk about an amendment to H.R. 702, this important legislation before us that will lift this outdated ban on the export of oil, modernize the U.S. energy economy, and create U.S. jobs. The amendment that I bring forward is to help Minority-Serving Institutions grow the leaders of the future in the oil and gas industry. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that Hispanics will account for 74 percent of the growth in the Nation's labor force from 2010 to 2020. This amendment ensures that our Minority-Serving Institutions, such as Hispanic-Serving Institutions and Historically Black Colleges and Universities, can create a competitive and able workforce in our oil and gas industry. This will ensure that our Nation can continue to compete in the global market far into the future. Hispanic-Serving Institutions are about 12 percent of the nonprofit colleges and universities, yet they enroll 59 percent of all Hispanic students. The other part of this amendment, Mr. Chairman, is that it also calls for the Department of Energy to encourage public-private partnerships between the energy sector and Minority-Serving Institutions. This is an amendment that I think will be good for all workers across the Nation. I ask all Members to vote in favor of this amendment and to support the underlying bill. I reserve the balance of my time.”