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HR 46 Responsible Energy Act of 2013
Topic Started: 6 Jun 2013, 09:36 PM (321 Views)
Heather Holson
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48 hours for Debate

Quote:
 
Mr BRENNINGER of New Mexico, Ms. BRUSHBECK of Florida and others in The SENATE, and Ms. HOLSON of Iowa, Ms. MCKINSEY of Virginia, Ms MARTINEZ of Florida, and others in The HOUSE, and on behalf of THE PRESIDENT of THE UNITED STATES submits..

A BILL

To reduce energy prices by investing into alternative fuels and hydrogen vehicles, expanding electric vehicle tax credits, increasing domestic production and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE

This bill may be cited as the ‘Responsible Energy Act of 2013’

TITLE. 01 - AUTHORIZATION OF KEYSTONE PIPELINE

(a) In General- In accordance with clause 3 of section 8 of article I of the Constitution, TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, L.P. is authorized to construct, connect, operate, and maintain pipeline facilities for the import of crude oil and other hydrocarbons at the United States-Canada Border at Phillips County, Montana.

(b) Presidential Permit Not Required- Notwithstanding Executive Order No. 13337, section 301 of title 3, United States Code, and any other Executive order or provision of law, no presidential permit shall be required for the facilities described in subsection (a).

(c) Environmental Impact Statement- The final environmental impact statement issued by the Secretary of State on August 26, 2011, the Final Evaluation Report issued by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality on January 3, 2013, and the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement issued on March 1, 2013, regarding the crude oil pipeline and appurtenant facilities associated with the facilities described in subsection (a), shall be considered to satisfy--

(1) all requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and

(2) any other provision of law that requires Federal agency consultation or review with respect to the facilities described in subsection (a) and the related facilities in the United States.

1) PIPELINE REGULATIONS

1) The Pipeline shall be inspected two times a year to check for leaks, corrosion that could lead to leaks, cracks, local water contamination levels, environmental impact to the area, and potentially unnoticed spills.

2) The Department of Energy and the Department of the Interior shall provide inspectors to survey the Pipeline.

3) The U.S. inspection process will take a total of one month and shall be split up into six different sections with fully staffed inspection stations.

5) Each inspection station shall be responsible for one section out of the six, which shall amount to approximately 500 miles.

5.1) Each inspection station shall be staffed with 25 inspectors.

5.2) Each inspection station shall be provided with 15 vehicles which includes cars, jeeps, and helicopters.

5.3) Each inspection station shall be allotted a $15 million budget to pay for the maintenance of their operations, salaries, and the upkeep of facilities and vehicles.

6) During the off period for the bi-yearly inspection, daily checkups will be made by staffed inspectors for their respective sections of the pipeline located within the United States.

7) The TransCanada Corporation shall be responsible for spills or leaks of the Pipeline and they shall pay any and all damages in full, including but not limited to - environmental damage, damage to the pipeline, water contamination, illness and sickness from the spills.

TITLE 02 - OPENING UP OFFSHORE DRILLING

1) REQUIREMENT TO CONDUCT PROPOSED OIL AND GAS LEASE SALE 216 IN THE CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO.

a) In General - The Secretary of the Interior shall conduct offshore gas and oil Lease Sale 216 under section 8 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, as soon as practicable, but no later than 4 months following the enactment of this act.

(b) Environmental Review- For the purposes of that lease sale, the Environmental Impact Statement for the 2007-2012 5-Year OCS Plan and the Multi-Sale Environmental Impact Statement are deemed to satisfy the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969

2) REQUIREMENT TO CONDUCT PROPOSED OIL AND GAS LEASE SALE 218 IN THE WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO.

(a) In General- The Secretary of the Interior shall conduct offshore oil and gas Lease Sale 218 under section 8 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act as soon as practicable, but not later than 8 months after the date of enactment of this Act.

(b) Environmental Review- For the purposes of that lease sale, the Environmental Impact Statement for the 2007-2012 5-Year OCS Plan and the Multi-Sale Environmental Impact Statement are deemed to satisfy the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969

3) REQUIREMENT TO CONDUCT PROPOSED OIL AND GAS LEASE SALE 220 ON THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF OFFSHORE VIRGINIA.

(a) In General- The Secretary of the Interior shall conduct offshore oil and gas Lease Sale 220 under section 8 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act as soon as practicable, but not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act.

(b) Prohibition on Conflicts With Military Operations- The Secretary shall not make any tract available for leasing under this section if the President, through the Secretary of Defense, determines that drilling activity on that tract would create an unreasonable conflict with military operations.

4) REQUIREMENT TO CONDUCT PROPOSED OIL AND GAS LEASE SALE 222 IN THE CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO.

(a) In General- The Secretary of the Interior shall conduct offshore oil and gas Lease Sale 222 under section 8 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act as soon as practicable, but not later than June 1, 2014.

(b) Environmental Review- For the purposes of that lease sale, the Environmental Impact Statement for the 2007-2012 5-Year OCS Plan and the Multi-Sale Environmental Impact Statement are deemed to satisfy the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969

TITLE 03 - OPENING UP ARIZONA STRIP TO MINING

1) FINDINGS.

(1) over the past 20 years, a form of low-impact, safe, and environmentally responsible underground `breccia pipe' uranium mining has been conducted in northern Arizona, particularly in an area located beyond the northern boundaries of the Grand Canyon National Park known as the `Arizona Strip';

(2) according to United States Geological Survey estimates, the Arizona Strip--

(A) has the potential of becoming the second most important uranium-producing region in the United States; and

(B) contains approximately 375,000,000 pounds of high-grade uranium ore with the energy equivalent of 13,000,000,000 barrels of oil, which is approximately the quantity of recoverable oil originally found in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska;

(3) in 1984, during the last uranium boom, Congress enacted the Arizona Wilderness Act of 1984, which--

(A) is recognized as a historic compromise between environmental and uranium mining interests; and

(B) affirmed the continued multiple use management of Federal land on the Arizona Strip that was not designated as wilderness by that Act;

(4) continued development of resources on the Arizona Strip would significantly boost economic growth in the area, provide for permanent well-paying jobs, and serve as a source of revenue to the Federal Government and State and local governments;

(5) on July 21, 2009, the Department of the Interior published a notice entitled `Notice of Proposed Withdrawal and Opportunity for Public Meeting; Arizona', which--

(A) proposed the withdrawal of approximately 1,000,000 acres of Federal locatable minerals in northern Arizona from the location of new mining claims over concerns that the uranium mining could impact the Grand Canyon watershed; and

(B) made no mention of the Arizona Wilderness Act of 1984 or the resource management plans that have governed mineral resource development on the Arizona Strip; and

(6) the February 2011 Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed withdrawal determined there is no conclusive evidence from well and spring sampling data that modern-day breccia pipe uranium mining operations in the northern portion of the Grand Canyon region has impacted the chemical quality of groundwater in the regional-aquifer.

2) PROHIBITION OF PROPOSED MINING WITHDRAWAL WITHOUT CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL.

(a) In General- Except by express authorization by Congress referencing this section and notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of the Interior shall not extend, renew, or issue a notice of segregation or withdrawal of the public land and National Forest System land described in Public Land Order 7773

3) REGULATION OF MINING

(a) Mining authorized under subsection 2) shall not occur within 5 miles of Grand Canyon National Park Boundaries, or within 10 miles of the Colorado River or any creeks which lead into it.

(b) The Radiation Exposure-Compensation Act shall be amended to include non-workers affected by possible uranium spills, or leaches, caused by the mining of uranium. (They shall be allocated the same amount as those allocated to uranium miners, ore workers, and millers, which is currently $100,000)

(c) This bill shall authorize the Department and Secretary of The Interior to issue regulations that are necessary and proper to protect the Colorado river and its watershed.

(d) If any spills, explosion, leakages or other accidents which pertain to uranium mining should occur the company responsible shall pay any and all damages.

TITLE 04 - INVESTING INTO HYDROGEN FUEL VEHICLES

1) EXPANSION OF CREDIT FOR HYDROGEN-RELATED ALTERNATIVE FUEL VEHICLE REFUELING PROPERTY.

a) Increase in Credit Percentage - Subsection (a) of Section 30C of the Internal revenue Code of 1986 is amended by inserting 50% in case of property relating to hydrogen (up from 30%)

b) Credit Allowable for Refueling Property for Certain Motor Vehicles Designed for Carrying or Towing Loads -

(1) The following paragraph will be added into Subsection (c) of Section 30C;

2) with respect to property, for the storage or dispensing of fuel at least 85 percent of the volume of which consists of hydrogen, the reference to motor vehicles in section 179A(d)(3)(A) included specified off-highway vehicles.’.

c) Effective Date-

(1) IN GENERAL- The amendments made by subsections a) and b) shall apply to property placed in service after the date of the enactment of this Act in taxable years ending after such date.

2) INCREASED INVESTMENT CREDIT FOR MORE EFFICIENT FUEL CELLS.

(a) Increased Percentage-

(1) IN GENERAL- Subparagraph (A) of section 48(a)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by redesignating clauses (i) and (ii) as clauses (iii) and (iv), respectively, and by inserting before clause (iii), as so redesignated, the following new clauses:

‘(i) 50 percent in the case of qualified fuel cell property used in a combined heat and power system having an energy efficiency percentage of 70 percent or more,

‘(ii) 40 percent in the case of qualified fuel cell property used in such a system having an energy efficiency percentage of at least 60 percent but less than 70 percent,’.

(b) Increased Maximum Credit- Subparagraph (B) of section 48(c)(1) of such Code is amended to read as follows:

‘(B) LIMITATION - In case of qualified fuel cell property, the credit otherwise determined under subsection (a) for such year with respect to such property shall not exceed -

‘(i) $2,500 for each 0.5 kilowatt of capacity of such property,

‘(ii) $2,000 for each 0.5 kilowatt of capacity of such property, and

‘(iii) $1,500 for each 0.5 kilowatt of capacity of such property.’.

TITLE 05 - EXPANDING ELECTRIC VEHICLE TAX CREDIT

1) INCREASE IN CREDIT LIMITATION FOR NEW QUALIFIED PLUG-IN ELECTRIC DRIVE MOTOR VEHICLES.

a) Base Amount of Per Vehicle Limitation - $2,500 tax credit amended to $3,750

b) Battery Capacity Limitation - $5,000 tax credit is amended to $6,250

(c) Effective Date- The amendments made by this section shall apply to vehicles placed in service after the date of the enactment of this Act.

TITLE 06 - TEMPORARY GAS TAX REDUCTION

1) TEMPORARY REDUCTION OF FEDERAL GAS AND DIESEL TAX

A) The Federal Gas Tax shall be reduced to 17¢/gal

B) The Federal Diesel Tax shall be reduced to 22¢/gal

C) The two sections above shall apply immediately upon passage, and last 4 years after passage of this legislation.

TITLE 07 - SOLAR ENERGY GRANT PROGRAM

1) SOLAR ENERGY GRANT PROGRAM.

(a) Establishment- The Secretary of Energy shall establish a program to award grants, on competitive basis, to State and Local governments for the design, purchase and installation of solar equipment on roofs or parking structures owned by the State or local government.

(b) Competitive Criteria- In determining which State and local governments to award

grants to under this section, the Secretary shall consider--

(1) the speed with which solar energy systems can be deployed;

(2) the total amount of solar energy to be deployed;

(3) the financial need of the State or local government;

(4) the use of best practices to ensure maximum efficiency of deployed systems;

(5) the use of materials and components that are manufactured in the United States; and

(6) other criteria the Secretary considers relevant.


TITLE 08 - GRANTS TO STATE NATURAL GAS PROJECTS

1) GRANTS TO STATES TO PROMOTE NATURAL GAS USE IN TRANSPORTATION.

(a) Purposes- The purposes of this section are--

(1) to provide assistance to States to carry out initiatives to promote--

(A) the use of natural gas as a transportation fuel; and

(B) public and private investment in natural gas vehicles and transportation infrastructure

(2) to recognize that each State is different and initiatives are most effective when the initiatives are structured to meet the specific needs and challenges of an individual State.

(b) Grants- The Secretary of Energy shall make grants available to States to independently carry out initiatives within the States to promote the purposes of this section.

(c) Eligibility- A State shall be eligible to receive a grant under this section if--

(1) the State submits an application to the Secretary at such time, in such form, and containing such information as the Secretary may prescribe, including a plan for initiatives to be carried out using the grant; and

(2) the Secretary--

(A) determines that the application and plan of the State promote the purposes of this section; and

(B) approves the application.

(d) Minimum Amount- Subject to the availability of funds under subsection (f), the minimum amount of a grant provided to a State that submits an application that is approved by the Secretary under this section shall be $1,000,000.

(e) Additional Amounts- Subject to the availability of funds under subsection (f), in addition to the minimum amount that is provided under subsection (d), the Secretary shall increase the amount of grants available to eligible States to reflect the potential of applications and plans of the States to promote the purposes of this section (as determined by the Secretary), taking into consideration--

(1) the relative amount of public and private funds that are likely to be leveraged by initiatives described in the plan of the State;

(2) the degree that initiatives will support a need that is unlikely to be met by the private sector absent grant program funding;

(3) the degree that initiatives will act as a bridge to private investment and sustainable market conditions; and

(4) the amount of funds invested in public and private investment in States in natural gas transportation and infrastructure.

TITLE 09 -AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS
This bill hereby authorizes spending for ;

Title 07 - Authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary for carrying out this Act $150,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2014 through 2018.

Title 08 - Authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $500,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2013 through 2022.’.
PES



Title 01 - Keystone Pipeline Authorization

This title authorizes construction of the Keystone and sets up the following regulations on managing the pipeline:

(1) The Pipeline shall be inspected two times a year to check for leaks, corrosion that could lead to leaks, cracks, local water contamination levels, environmental impact to the area, and potentially unnoticed spills.

(2) The Department of Energy and the Department of the Interior shall provide inspectors to survey the Pipeline.

(3) The U.S. inspection process will take a total of one month and shall be split up into six different sections with fully staffed inspection stations.

(5) Each inspection station shall be responsible for one section out of the six, which shall amount to approximately 500 miles.

(5.1) Each inspection station shall be staffed with 25 inspectors.

(5.2) Each inspection station shall be provided with 15 vehicles which includes cars, jeeps, and helicopters.

(5.3) Each inspection station shall be allotted a $15 million budget to pay for the maintenance of their operations, salaries, and the upkeep of facilities and vehicles.

(6) During the off period for the bi-yearly inspection, daily checkups will be made by staffed inspectors for their respective sections of the pipeline located within the United States.

(7) The TransCanada Corporation shall be responsible for spills or leaks of the Pipeline and they shall pay any and all damages in full, including but not limited to - environmental damage, damage to the pipeline, water contamination, illness and sickness from the spills.

Title 02 - Opening of Offshore Drilling

This title directs the Secretary of The Interior to conduct offshore oil and gas leases as follows

(1) lease sale 216 in the Central Gulf of Mexico within four months after enactment of this Act;

(2) lease sale 218 in the Western Gulf of Mexico within eight months after enactment of this Act;

(3) lease sale 220 on the Outer Continental Shelf offshore Virginia within one year after enactment of this Act; and

(4) lease sale 222 in the Central Gulf of Mexico no later than June 1, 2014.

It also ;

Prohibits the Secretary from making any Offshore Virginia tract available for leasing if it would conflict with military operations. Declares that, for purposes of such proposed lease sales, specified Environmental Impact Statements are deemed to satisfy the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969.

Title 03 - Opening up Arizona Strip to Mining

This title allows for uranium mining in the Northern Arizona Strip; which was closed by order of The Secretary of The Interior.

It also sets the following regulation for Uranium Mining;

(1) Mining authorized shall not occur within 5 miles of Grand Canyon National Park Boundaries, or within 10 miles of the Colorado River or any creeks which lead into it.

(2) The Radiation Exposure-Compensation Act shall be amended to include non-workers affected by possible uranium spills, or leaches, caused by the mining of uranium. (They shall be allocated the same amount as those allocated to uranium miners, ore workers, and millers, which is currently $100,000)

(3) This bill shall authorize the Department and Secretary of The Interior to issue regulations that are necessary and proper to protect the Colorado river and its watershed.

(4) If any spills, explosion, leakages or other accidents which pertain to uranium mining should occur the company responsible shall pay any and all damages.

Title 04 - Investments into Hydrogen Vehicles

This title amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax credit for alternative fuel vehicle refueling property expenditures, to:

(1) increase the rate of such credit from 30% to 50% for hydrogen-related alternative fuel vehicles,

(2) eliminate the dollar limitation on such credit for hydrogen-related vehicles,

(3) allow such credit for off-highway motor vehicles designed for carrying or towing loads, and

(4) extend such credit through 2016 for property related to hydrogen.

Increases the 30% energy tax credit for investment in fuel cell property to:

(1) 50% for fuel cell property used in a combined heat and power system having an energy efficiency percentage of 70% or more, and

(2) 40% for fuel cell property having an energy efficiency percentage of at least 60% but less than 70%.

Title 05 -Electric Vehicle Tax Credit Expansion

This title Amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the tax credit for the purchase of new plug-in electric drive motor vehicles, to increase:

(1) the per vehicle dollar limitation from $2,500 to $3,750, and

(2) the limitation based on battery capacity from $5,000 to $6,250.

Title 06 - Temporary Gax Tax Reduction

This title reduces the Federal Gas and Diesel Tax -

(1) Federal Gas Tax is changed from 18.4 Cents/Gallon to 17 Cents/Gallon and;

(1) Federal Diesel Tax is changed from 24.4 Cents/Gallon to 22 Cents/Gallon

Both reduction shall last for Four Years upon passage of legislation

Title 07 - Solar Energy Grant Program

This title Directs the Secretary of Energy to establish a program to award competitive grants to state and local governments for the design, purchase, and installation of qualifying solar equipment on rooftops or parking structures owned by the state or local government.

Directs the Secretary, in determining grant recipients, to consider:

(1) the speed with which solar energy systems can be deployed,

(2) the total amount of solar energy to be deployed,

(3) financial need,

(4) the use of best practices to ensure maximum efficiency of deployed systems, and

(5) the use of materials and components that are manufactured in the United States.

Title 08 - Grants to State Natural Gas Projects

This title Amends the Natural Gas Act to require the Secretary of Energy (DOE) to make grants available to states to independently carry out initiatives to promote the following purposes:

(1) the use of natural gas as a transportation fuel, and

(2) investment in natural gas vehicles and transportation infrastructure.

Establishes $1 million as the minimum grant amount to a state.

Requires the Secretary to increase the grant amount above the minimum to reflect the potential of applications and plans to promote the purposes of this Act, taking into consideration:

(1) the relative amount of funds likely to be leveraged by initiatives described in the state plan,

(2) the degree that initiatives will support a need unlikely to be met by the private sector absent program funding,

(3) the degree that initiatives will be a bridge to private investment and sustainable market conditions, and

(4) the amount of funds invested in public and private investment in states in natural gas transportation and infrastructure.
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Replies:
FairBol
Member Avatar
American Patriot, & DJ
Aye on both.
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Terrus


Madame Speaker,

We should not just be investing in alternative fuels and electric vehicles -- we should also be investing in fuel efficiency and in hybrids. To this end, I move to append the following as Title 09.

Quote:
 
Title 09. Hybrid and Fuel-Efficient Vehicles.
(a) The Energy Policy Act of 2005 shall be amended such that the Hybrid Tax Credit remains available through December 31, 2020.

(b) The Energy Policy Act of 2005 shall be amended such that the Hybrid Tax Credit is also made available for the purchase of a fuel-efficient vehicle, as defined by the Secretary of Transportation.


I furthermore move to extend debate by 24 hours to allow for consideration of this amendment.

I yield.
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Terrus


Aye on both.
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Brenninger
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#Swaggy
Madame Speaker,

I second the amendment, and motion to extend debate both put forward by my colleague from Michigan

I yield my time
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Landry
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Winter is Coming to the Red States
Both motions are in order, and are recognized.

Aye on Terrus
Aye to extend
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Terrus


Aye on Terrus, aye on extension.
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Wayne
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Aye on Terrus
Aye to extend
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BAM
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Aye on both
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Patrick Callaghan
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New England Republican >:D
Aye on both
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Edward Kensington
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AYE to both of them.
Edited by Edward Kensington, 7 Jun 2013, 10:13 PM.
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Brenninger
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#Swaggy
Aye on Terrus and Aye to Extend
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Daniel Hernandez
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Wielder of the Gavel
Rick Thomas

Aye on Terrus
Aye to Extend
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Mila Clarke
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Aye to both
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Terrus


Madame President,

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood aptly described the United States as "a giant pothole," in reference to its infrastructure last year. Our roads and bridges are failing, our dams are literally collapsing -- the American Society of Civil Engineers ranks our infrastructure as a D, and that's a significant concern. Given the state of our infrastructure, we should absolutely not be cutting the gas tax, which funds highway infrastructure. With this in mind, I move to amend to strike the following:

Quote:
 
TITLE 06 - TEMPORARY GAS TAX REDUCTION

1) TEMPORARY REDUCTION OF FEDERAL GAS AND DIESEL TAX

A) The Federal Gas Tax shall be reduced to 17¢/gal

B) The Federal Diesel Tax shall be reduced to 22¢/gal

C) The two sections above shall apply immediately upon passage, and last 4 years after passage of this legislation.


I yield.
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tal
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Old Man In The Mountain
Aye on both.
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Melissa Sanchez
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Madam Speaker,


Aye on the Holson Amendment.

Nay on the Griswold Amendment.
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FairBol
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American Patriot, & DJ
Aye on both.
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Landry
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Winter is Coming to the Red States
Terrus I and motion to extend are agreed to; 24 hours additional debate. Terrus I will be incorporated at close of debate.
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Bluto
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The Evil Bastard That Strikes Fear Into The Hearts Of RINOs Is Back
Madame Speaker.

I move to strike

Quote:
 
TITLE. 01 - AUTHORIZATION OF KEYSTONE PIPELINE

(a) In General- In accordance with clause 3 of section 8 of article I of the Constitution, TransCanada Keystone Pipeline, L.P. is authorized to construct, connect, operate, and maintain pipeline facilities for the import of crude oil and other hydrocarbons at the United States-Canada Border at Phillips County, Montana.

(b) Presidential Permit Not Required- Notwithstanding Executive Order No. 13337, section 301 of title 3, United States Code, and any other Executive order or provision of law, no presidential permit shall be required for the facilities described in subsection (a).

(c) Environmental Impact Statement- The final environmental impact statement issued by the Secretary of State on August 26, 2011, the Final Evaluation Report issued by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality on January 3, 2013, and the Draft Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement issued on March 1, 2013, regarding the crude oil pipeline and appurtenant facilities associated with the facilities described in subsection (a), shall be considered to satisfy--

(1) all requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 and

(2) any other provision of law that requires Federal agency consultation or review with respect to the facilities described in subsection (a) and the related facilities in the United States.

1) PIPELINE REGULATIONS

1) The Pipeline shall be inspected two times a year to check for leaks, corrosion that could lead to leaks, cracks, local water contamination levels, environmental impact to the area, and potentially unnoticed spills.

2) The Department of Energy and the Department of the Interior shall provide inspectors to survey the Pipeline.

3) The U.S. inspection process will take a total of one month and shall be split up into six different sections with fully staffed inspection stations.

5) Each inspection station shall be responsible for one section out of the six, which shall amount to approximately 500 miles.

5.1) Each inspection station shall be staffed with 25 inspectors.

5.2) Each inspection station shall be provided with 15 vehicles which includes cars, jeeps, and helicopters.

5.3) Each inspection station shall be allotted a $15 million budget to pay for the maintenance of their operations, salaries, and the upkeep of facilities and vehicles.

6) During the off period for the bi-yearly inspection, daily checkups will be made by staffed inspectors for their respective sections of the pipeline located within the United States.

7) The TransCanada Corporation shall be responsible for spills or leaks of the Pipeline and they shall pay any and all damages in full, including but not limited to - environmental damage, damage to the pipeline, water contamination, illness and sickness from the spills.

TITLE 02 - OPENING UP OFFSHORE DRILLING

1) REQUIREMENT TO CONDUCT PROPOSED OIL AND GAS LEASE SALE 216 IN THE CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO.

a) In General - The Secretary of the Interior shall conduct offshore gas and oil Lease Sale 216 under section 8 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, as soon as practicable, but no later than 4 months following the enactment of this act.

(b) Environmental Review- For the purposes of that lease sale, the Environmental Impact Statement for the 2007-2012 5-Year OCS Plan and the Multi-Sale Environmental Impact Statement are deemed to satisfy the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969

2) REQUIREMENT TO CONDUCT PROPOSED OIL AND GAS LEASE SALE 218 IN THE WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO.

(a) In General- The Secretary of the Interior shall conduct offshore oil and gas Lease Sale 218 under section 8 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act as soon as practicable, but not later than 8 months after the date of enactment of this Act.

(b) Environmental Review- For the purposes of that lease sale, the Environmental Impact Statement for the 2007-2012 5-Year OCS Plan and the Multi-Sale Environmental Impact Statement are deemed to satisfy the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969

3) REQUIREMENT TO CONDUCT PROPOSED OIL AND GAS LEASE SALE 220 ON THE OUTER CONTINENTAL SHELF OFFSHORE VIRGINIA.

(a) In General- The Secretary of the Interior shall conduct offshore oil and gas Lease Sale 220 under section 8 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act as soon as practicable, but not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act.

(b) Prohibition on Conflicts With Military Operations- The Secretary shall not make any tract available for leasing under this section if the President, through the Secretary of Defense, determines that drilling activity on that tract would create an unreasonable conflict with military operations.

4) REQUIREMENT TO CONDUCT PROPOSED OIL AND GAS LEASE SALE 222 IN THE CENTRAL GULF OF MEXICO.

(a) In General- The Secretary of the Interior shall conduct offshore oil and gas Lease Sale 222 under section 8 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act as soon as practicable, but not later than June 1, 2014.

(b) Environmental Review- For the purposes of that lease sale, the Environmental Impact Statement for the 2007-2012 5-Year OCS Plan and the Multi-Sale Environmental Impact Statement are deemed to satisfy the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969

TITLE 03 - OPENING UP ARIZONA STRIP TO MINING

1) FINDINGS.

(1) over the past 20 years, a form of low-impact, safe, and environmentally responsible underground `breccia pipe' uranium mining has been conducted in northern Arizona, particularly in an area located beyond the northern boundaries of the Grand Canyon National Park known as the `Arizona Strip';

(2) according to United States Geological Survey estimates, the Arizona Strip--

(A) has the potential of becoming the second most important uranium-producing region in the United States; and

(B) contains approximately 375,000,000 pounds of high-grade uranium ore with the energy equivalent of 13,000,000,000 barrels of oil, which is approximately the quantity of recoverable oil originally found in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska;

(3) in 1984, during the last uranium boom, Congress enacted the Arizona Wilderness Act of 1984, which--

(A) is recognized as a historic compromise between environmental and uranium mining interests; and

(B) affirmed the continued multiple use management of Federal land on the Arizona Strip that was not designated as wilderness by that Act;

(4) continued development of resources on the Arizona Strip would significantly boost economic growth in the area, provide for permanent well-paying jobs, and serve as a source of revenue to the Federal Government and State and local governments;

(5) on July 21, 2009, the Department of the Interior published a notice entitled `Notice of Proposed Withdrawal and Opportunity for Public Meeting; Arizona', which--

(A) proposed the withdrawal of approximately 1,000,000 acres of Federal locatable minerals in northern Arizona from the location of new mining claims over concerns that the uranium mining could impact the Grand Canyon watershed; and

(B) made no mention of the Arizona Wilderness Act of 1984 or the resource management plans that have governed mineral resource development on the Arizona Strip; and

(6) the February 2011 Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the proposed withdrawal determined there is no conclusive evidence from well and spring sampling data that modern-day breccia pipe uranium mining operations in the northern portion of the Grand Canyon region has impacted the chemical quality of groundwater in the regional-aquifer.

2) PROHIBITION OF PROPOSED MINING WITHDRAWAL WITHOUT CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL.

(a) In General- Except by express authorization by Congress referencing this section and notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary of the Interior shall not extend, renew, or issue a notice of segregation or withdrawal of the public land and National Forest System land described in Public Land Order 7773

3) REGULATION OF MINING

(a) Mining authorized under subsection 2) shall not occur within 5 miles of Grand Canyon National Park Boundaries, or within 10 miles of the Colorado River or any creeks which lead into it.

(b) The Radiation Exposure-Compensation Act shall be amended to include non-workers affected by possible uranium spills, or leaches, caused by the mining of uranium. (They shall be allocated the same amount as those allocated to uranium miners, ore workers, and millers, which is currently $100,000)

(c) This bill shall authorize the Department and Secretary of The Interior to issue regulations that are necessary and proper to protect the Colorado river and its watershed.

(d) If any spills, explosion, leakages or other accidents which pertain to uranium mining should occur the company responsible shall pay any and all damages.


and renumber accordingly.
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George Handy
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Terrus
8 Jun 2013, 02:23 AM
Madame President,

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood aptly described the United States as "a giant pothole," in reference to its infrastructure last year. Our roads and bridges are failing, our dams are literally collapsing -- the American Society of Civil Engineers ranks our infrastructure as a D, and that's a significant concern. Given the state of our infrastructure, we should absolutely not be cutting the gas tax, which funds highway infrastructure. With this in mind, I move to amend to strike the following:

Quote:
 
TITLE 06 - TEMPORARY GAS TAX REDUCTION

1) TEMPORARY REDUCTION OF FEDERAL GAS AND DIESEL TAX

A) The Federal Gas Tax shall be reduced to 17¢/gal

B) The Federal Diesel Tax shall be reduced to 22¢/gal

C) The two sections above shall apply immediately upon passage, and last 4 years after passage of this legislation.


I yield.
Madam Speaker,
I second.

I yield.
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