HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES ACTIONS 11/20/2013

DAILY FLOOR WRAP UP

 

November 20, 2013

 

SUMMARY OF LEGISLATIVE BUSINESS

 

Ordering the Previous Question on H. Res. 420 — "Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1900) to provide for the timely consideration of all licenses, permits, and approvals required under Federal law with respect to the siting, construction, expansion, or operation of any natural gas pipeline projects, and for other purposes." – ADOPTED 223 – 195

 

H. Res. 420 — "Providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 1900) to provide for the timely consideration of all licenses, permits, and approvals required under Federal law with respect to the siting, construction, expansion, or operation of any natural gas pipeline projects, and for other purposes." – ADOTPED 225 – 194

 

H.R. 1965 - Federal Lands Jobs and Energy Security Act

 

Jackson Lee (D-TX) - Amendment No. 2 to H.R. 1965 - Preserves First Amendment Right to Petition, although nothing in the bill impinges upon a person’s ability to petition their government. – REJECTED 199 – 222  

 

Lowenthal (D-CA) - Amendment No. 3 to H.R. 1965 - Reverses the provision in the bill that restores current law and instead allows the Secretary of Interior to continue to review actions that generally qualify for Categorical Exclusions to NEPA for possible Extraordinary Circumstances (e.g. Violations of a Federal law, or a State, local, or tribal law or requirement) which would then supersede the Categorical Exclusion and require further NEPA review. – REJECTED 194 – 228

 

Jackson Lee (D-TX) - Amendment No. 4 to H.R. 1965 - Eliminates prohibition of award of attorney fees which otherwise would be recoverable under Equal Access to Justice Act. – REJECTED 198 – 225

 

Polis (D-CO), Huffman (D-CA) - Amendment No. 7 to H.R. 1965 - Requires National Academy of Sciences to study and report to Congress about the impact of flooding on oil and gas facilities and the resulting instances of leaking and spills from tanks, wells, and pipelines. – REJECTED 202 – 221

 

DeFazio (D-OR) - Amendment No. 8 to H.R. 1965 - Redirects $10 million of the revenue directed to streamlining permitting to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to use existing authority to limit speculation in energy markets. – REJECTED 195 – 226

 

Democrat Motion to Recommit – FAILED 189 – 232

 

Final Passage of H.R. 1965 — "To streamline and ensure onshore energy permitting, provide for onshore leasing certainty, and give certainty to oil shale development for American energy security, economic development, and job creation, and for other purposes." – PASSED 228 – 192

 

H.R. 2728 - Protecting States’ Rights to Promote American Energy Security Act

 

Flores (R-TX) – Amendment No. 2 to H.R. 2728 – Requires states to submit a copy of their hydraulic fracturing regulations and chemical disclosure requirements to the BLM for public disclosure and provides other technical/clarifying changes. – ADOPTED BY VOICE

 

Reed (R-NY), Costa (D-CA) – Amendment No. 3 to H.R. 2728 – Directs the GAO to conduct a study on the economic benefits of domestic oil and gas production as result of hydraulic fracturing including job creation, energy prices and State and Federal revenues - as modified. – ADOPTED BY VOICE

 

Jackson Lee (D-TX) – Amendment No. 5 to H.R. 2728 – The Secretary shall conduct an massive new completely undefined annual review of all state hydraulic fracturing activity (including everything from drilling and contacts to regulation and oversight) and submit a report to Congress. – ADOPTED BY VOICE 

 

Holt (D-NJ), Peters, Scott (D-CA), Polis (D-CO) – Amendment No. 1 to H.R. 2728  – Allows the Secretary of the Interior to continue to regulate fracturing if done through regulations to reduce methane emissions from oil and gas drilling operations on public lands. - REJECTED 190 – 230

 

DeFazio (D-OR) – Amendment No. 4 to H.R. 2728 – Prohibits the export of natural gas produced from public lands. – REJECTED 142 – 276

 

Democrat Motion to Recommit – FAILED 188 – 232

 

Final Passage of H.R. 2728 — "To recognize States' authority to regulate oil and gas operations and promote American energy security, development, and job creation." – PASSED 235 – 187