Steve Stockman: “There is oversight. I would argue that there is oversight on the permits such as off the coast of Texas in which we have…”

“There is oversight. I would argue that there is oversight on the permits such as off the coast of Texas in which we have been developing it, and there has been, I feel, unfair interference. I think to send a signal to the Department that we are serious about allowing us to become number one in the world of energy, my district alone employs thousands and thousands of people in the energy industry, and having these kind of restrictions laid upon the industry is not longsighted but, rather, shortsighted. So I would ask that the amendment be accepted as proposed. I think that, overall, it will be a benefit to the United States if we develop. Off the coast of California, they have as much as $1 trillion in reserves, and much of it is actually seeping up naturally onto the shores of California. Actually, by allowing industry to develop those fields, you would actually have less seepage of oil up on the coast of California. I, for one, want us to continue to create jobs, and the number one job creator in the United States now and today is energy. I think that if we look at the future, the future of the United States is going to be in the energy industry as we surpass Saudi Arabia. Madam Chairman, with that, I reserve the balance of my time.”