Energy
The issue of Energy is important to our district and to my work in Congress.
Increasing access to American energy sources will create jobs, grow our economy and reduce our nation’s dependence on energy from hostile foreign countries. I strongly support an all-of-the-above energy approach that includes development of natural gas, clean coal, and other fossil fuels, as well as alternative energy sources such as wind, solar, hydropower, nuclear, geothermal and biomass. Supporting an all of the above approach to our energy problem will create new job opportunities in New Hampshire while making us less dependent on foreign sources.
I recently wrote a "Frankly Speaking" column on what I've been doing to help address skyrocketing gas prices in Congress. Click here to read that column.
Legislative Action:
Voted for H.R. 2842, a bipartisan plan to expand renewable Hydropower production
- H.R. 2842 authorizes hydropower development on existing, man-made Bureau of Reclamation water canals and pipes, cuts government red-tape by streamlining a duplicative regulatory process and reduces administrative costs for developing these energy projects. Such man-made facilities are already on disturbed ground, have no environmental impact and have already gone through environmental review.
- It passed the House with a bipartisan vote of 265-154 on March 8, 2012 and awaits action in the U.S. Senate.
Voted for the PIONEERS Act
- It would expand offshore drilling, safely open small parts of ANWR for oil and natural gas production, encourage oil shale development and approve the Keystone XL pipeline. The PIONEERS Act passed the House with a bipartisan vote of 237-187. It awaits action in the U.S. Senate.
Cosponsored H.R. 3811, the Keystone for a Secure Tomorrow Act
- This legislation would find that delivery from Alberta, Canada to the U.S. is in the national interest of the U.S. It would also find that the completion of the pipeline would be in the nation’s best interest. Finally, it would approve the Keystone XL Pipeline permit for all portions except the Nebraska section that is being rerouted.
Cosponsored A Roadmap to America’s Energy Future
- Promotes energy policies that facilitate the production of traditional resources, and also supports the rapid development of market-based alternative energy sources.
Original cosponsor of the Reduce the Pain at the Pump Act
- Repeal’s the President’s moratorium on America’s Outer Continental Shelf resources, allows energy production to resume off the East and West Coasts, the Gulf Coasts, and parts of Alaska. It also repeals the energy-restricting Bureau of Land Management lockup of western lands to allow energy production to begin there, including programs to accelerate production of oil shale and tar sands resources. Finally, it provides immediate relief from EPA regulation and mandates that cause artificial price increases.
Additional legislation I’ve voted for that would address our energy needs
- H.R. 1230, Restarting American Offshore Leasing Now Act, H.R. 1229, Putting the Gulf of Mexico Back to Work Act, H.R. 1231, Reversing President Obama’s Offshore Moratorium Act, H.R. 2021, Jobs and Energy Permitting Act of 2011, H.R. 1938, North American-Made Energy Security Act.