Building America's Energy Security

Floor Speech

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Mr. DAINES. Mr. Speaker, I'm grateful for my good friend from North Dakota, Kevin Cramer, for this time to talk about what is really important to the people out in the heartland, which sometimes is a very different set of values than what we find right here in the beltway of Washington.

I was also struck by my good friend from Kentucky, Andy Barr, as he shared his comments. It reminds me that we are the party, we are the leaders back here standing for the working middle class in this country, standing for jobs, for revenues that go to our schools, and the tax base for low-cost energy. This President says one thing, but the consequence of this policy is something that will only ultimately benefit the elite and the wealthy in this country instead of the regular working families in this country.

I want to thank my friends here today for organizing this Special Order and bringing attention to the importance of an American energy sector to our economy and to the daily lives of all Americans. In Montana, we know the importance of a robust energy sector.

Whether it's oil, gas, coal, wind, water, biomass, it's all needed to create jobs and keep energy costs low for the people of our country. In fact, one of my priorities in Congress is to fight for the all-of-the-above energy plan that helps grow American jobs, lowers energy costs, and helps us fight for North American energy independence, energy security.

Unfortunately, President Obama does not seem to share this goal. In fact, yesterday, President Obama unveiled his latest energy plan, a job-killing agenda that will hurt American jobs and American families and small businesses.

After his announcement yesterday, President Obama made a commitment to waging war on American energy, which was made crystal clear. In fact, by imposing further barriers to the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline and by working to severely hinder American coal production, President Obama has unveiled a misguided agenda that will only hurt Montana and American energy consumers and will cost good-paying Montana jobs.

Montana's energy sector is a huge driver for our State's economy. Our coal mining industry employs over 1,200 workers across our State. Montana contains more coal reserves than any other State in America, and it ranks number six overall in coal production nationwide. Additionally, coal production provides critical funding for Montana schools, as much of our State's coal is located on school trust lands. We forget about the contribution to our tax base, that of helping build schools and funding teachers, which comes from the energy industry.

The development of our coal reserves produces millions of dollars for Montana public education every year. My daughter is a senior at Montana State University, preparing to graduate and go into elementary education in Montana. Energy production will be critical to funding our public schools in Montana as we look down the road.

We have also seen tremendous growth from the booming development of the Bakken formation, as my friend from North Dakota alluded to, which spreads across eastern Montana and into western North Dakota. Oil production in our State has created thousands of good-paying jobs, both in the oil fields and also in the service industries that are at the heart of many of our small towns.

I would like to have the President come out to eastern Montana and see what's happening out there. Families are struggling, living month to month, but are seeing the benefits now of the energy industry as they are seeing paychecks they can count on as they look forward. It has also injected millions of dollars into our State's economy; and, like coal, it has helped provide millions of dollars in much-needed funding for Montana's schools. Recent reports show that Bakken oil production currently accounts for 11 percent of the total U.S. oil production and represents 40 percent of increased oil production nationwide. If the Keystone XL pipeline is built, it would be able to move up to 100,000 barrels of oil. That's Montana and North Dakota oil per day from our very own Bakken formation.

Mr. President, I am in favor of ``made in America'' energy. Montana's natural resources, like coal and oil, not only provide our State and Nation with quality American energy, but they are helping keep the utility costs low for hardworking American taxpayers. Montana gets more than half of its power from coal. That helps keep electric rates low. We see some electric cars driving down the highways today and in our towns. I'm not opposed to electric cars; but if the truth be known, we ought to have a sticker on the back that reads: ``This electric car likely powered by coal.'' The average retail price in Montana is currently 8.4 cents per kilowatt hour, which is among the lowest in the Nation.

The construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, on the other hand, would also have a tremendous impact on energy prices for Montanans. In fact, not too long ago, I was traveling around our State. I am the only Member of Congress for the State of Montana. It's a privilege to represent an entire State. I was up in Glasgow, Montana, meeting with the NorVal Electric Co-Op. I learned that the NorVal Electric Co-Op is expected to supply power for one of the Keystone pump stations. If the Keystone pipeline is built, it will help NorVal keep its customers' electric rates stable for the next 10 years. Think about that--10 years of no increase. Contrast that to, if the pipeline is not built, NorVal expects that their rates will grow upwards of 40 percent over the next decade.

Mr. President, these customers at NorVal live month to month. They live paycheck to paycheck. This is what is helping American middle class, hardworking taxpayers survive--expanding our energy production. By declaring a war on energy right now, you are declaring a war on American families who are struggling every month to make ends meet. For most Montanans who live on tight budgets and who carefully track where their paychecks are going, unlike a lot of the folks around here in Washington, D.C., a 40 percent increase in utility rates would be devastating. Unfortunately, under President Obama's agenda, that very well could happen.

President Obama's war on coal would severely hinder coal production in Montana and the jobs that rely on this important industry. It would be a serious blow to Montana families and to small businesses that rely on coal as a reliable source of affordable electricity. Just as bad, this job-killing agenda will be imposed through unilateral action, demonstrating that the President is more set on achieving his own political goals rather than on listening to the will of the American people or on working to create much-needed jobs.

Mr. President, the people of America are focused on paying their bills every month. That's a higher priority to them than your priority, which is that of winning an election in 2014.

By sidestepping Congress and public scrutiny, President Obama will set his agenda in motion through costly regulations and more and more red tape and bureaucratic hoops. These roadblocks won't just hurt the coal industry as we know President Obama and his advisers seek to do; these regulations will hurt hardworking American taxpayers who rely on American energy each and every day.

Let me be clear: President Obama's agenda isn't just a war on coal. This is a war on Montana energy, on Montana families, on Montana small businesses, and on Montana jobs--and it must be stopped. I will remain steadfast in this fight to stop the President's job-killing agenda, and I look forward to working with my colleagues here today on commonsense policies that grow American energy and help create the good-paying jobs that the American people desperately need.

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