Chairman Gonzalez Speaks in Support of Cross-Border Energy Infrastructure Bill on House Floor
WASHINGTON—Today, Congressman Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15), Chair of the Oil & Gas Caucus, delivered the following remarks on the House Floor in support of H.R. 2883, Promoting Cross-Border Energy Infrastructure Act. The bill enacts key reforms that will bring transparency, reliability, efficiency, and regulatory certainty to the permitting process for cross-border energy infrastructure such as pipelines and electric transmission lines.
Congressman Gonzalez strongly supports H.R. 2883, which will enable the United States to more efficiently trade energy products with our North American neighbors and allies Canada and Mexico, while ensuring that these projects are environmentally sound and within the public interest. H.R. 2883 passed the U.S. House of Representatives by a vote of 254 Yeas, 175 Nays.
Click image to watch his remarks:
"Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of HR 2883, the Promoting Cross-Border Energy Infrastructure Act. This bill would enact crucial reforms allowing efficient trade of energy products with our North American friends and allies.
Unfortunately, the existing process has politicized vital cross-border energy infrastructure.HR 2883 offers a narrowly crafted, sensible solution to this problem.
The bill will create a process at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, State Department, and the Department of Energy to permit cross-border infrastructure projects.
This new procedure will bring regulatory certainty while ensuring these projects are environmentally sound and within public interest. These projects create jobs in my district, in South Texas, and across the country.
I congratulate and thank Mr. Green and Mr. Mullin for this important piece of legislation.
Energy security, targeted regulatory reforms, and smart infrastructure investments are things we can all support.
I urge a "yes" vote on this sensible bipartisan legislation and yield back the balance of my time."
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