**Carter Courier**

http://carter.house.gov

July 11, 2008 Volume 6, Issue 11

**[LETTER FROM THE CONGRESSMAN]{.underline}**

Dear Friends,

This past week I had the opportunity to join my family and visit
constituents back home in Texas. The number one concern in the district
is the rising prices of gasoline, and while many different issues face
Central Texans, this issue will continue to be on the forefront. I spoke
with many of you in person or during my tele-town halls about this, and
let me assure you, I will continue to put pressure on House Democrats to
pass legislation that allows for the exploration of all types of
American made energy, including oil and natural gas.

As always, I thank all of you in the 31^st^ District for the opportunity
to serve you in Congress and will keep you updated on the lasted
information regarding important issues. God Bless Texas!

Until next week,



**[USE IT OR LOSE IT FULL OF false INFORMATION]{.underline}**

With Texas families and small businesses continuing to feel the pain at
the pump, Congress has yet to bring forth an energy plan that will lower
gas prices.

You may have heard of the Majority's "use it or lose it" proposal. This
plan calls for Congress to force energy companies to "use" their leased
federal lands to produce oil -- or "lose" those leases. The truth is
that "use it or lose it" is already the law of the land. Speaker Pelosi
and Majority Leader Hoyer each voted for it in 1992. Under the law,
federal energy lease holders already must produce oil or natural gas
within five to 10 years after drilling begins. If companies fail to
comply, the Secretary of the Interior has the power to cancel the lease.
If Pelosi and Hoyer have already voted for this legislation, and it is
already law, why are they insisting on bringing up another bill to do
the exact same thing? Perhaps, it could be because they have no
meaningful plan of their own to bring down gas prices.

The "use it or lose it" plan claims that energy companies are sitting on
68 million acres of federal land without exploring or drilling for oil
and natural gas; however, this is nowhere near the truth. According to
the American Petroleum Institute, companies actively develop their
leases-but not every lease contains oil or natural gas in large enough
quantities. Companies can evaluate leases for several years only to
determine that they do not contain oil or natural gas. Those of us in
Texas know that it is not easy to bring oil and natural gas to the
market. There is a long and costly process of obtaining the lease,
evaluation and exploration before you can even begin the production
phase.

Another false claim is the accusation that 4.8 million barrels of oil
per day and 44.7 billion cubic feet of natural gas per day may be
'extrapolated' from the oil companies' unused federally-leased lands.
The truth is that no Democrat or any federal authority can provide a
source for this information. In fact, earlier this week, The American
Association of Petroleum Geologists (an independent group funded by
member fees, not oil companies) wrote Congress to explain the process of
developing oil and gas leases, which completely goes against these
facts.

The truth is that the only way to lower gas prices is to explore for new
American energy in an environmentally safe way as well as increase our
conservation. I remain committed to working in a bipartisan manner to
increase the supply of American energy, promote conservation and help
lower prices at the pump. Congress can't do that by simply voting on
misleading or inaccurate bills that do nothing to solve the problem. I
call on my Democratic colleagues to work with Republicans and produce
energy legislation that will provide the American people with the relief
they desperately are seeking.

**[Carter applauds Supreme court decision to overturn d.c. gun
ban]{.underline}**

The U.S. Supreme Court recently overturned Washington D.C.'s 32-year ban
on handguns.

The decision is a huge victory for law-abiding citizens in Washington
D.C. The right to keep and bear arms is a constitutional right which was
intended for every American citizen, and should not exclude those who
reside in the District of Colombia or any other state.

As a district judge for over 20 years, I remain dedicated to protecting
the rights our forefathers put forth and cherish the freedom I have as
an American to protect myself and my family. Now, after a 32-year battle
over this right, I am proud to see that my fellow Americans who live in
Washington, D.C. can do the same.

**[CAMERON, ROCKDALE & COPPERAS COVE OUTREACH SCHEDULE]{.underline}**

In order to better serve the constituents of the 31st District, the
caseworkers of my office will be traveling to towns throughout the
district and setting up local office hours. During these hours
constituents can ask questions about services that my office offers or
seek help with problems dealing with federal agencies.

**[MILAM COUNTY]{.underline}**

**Cameron**

**Tuesday, July 22, 2008**

**9:00 a.m. -- 11:30 a.m.**

Bea's Kitchen

101 E Main

Cameron, Texas 76520

**Rockdale**

**Tuesday, July 22, 2008**

**1:30 p.m. -- 4:00 p.m.**

Central Texas Workforce Center of Rockdale

313 N. Main

Rockdale, Texas 76567

**[CORYELL COUNTY]{.underline}**

**Copperas Cove**

**Thursday, July 31, 2008**

**8:30 a.m. -- 11:30 a.m.**

Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce

204 E Robertson Avenue

Copperas Cove, Texas 76522

**[\
republicans call 3.2 million americans to talk energy]{.underline}**

In a major collaborative effort to speak with millions of constituents
regarding skyrocketing gas prices, House Republicans called some 3.2
million households throughout the country during the last two weeks in
June. The effort was in response to surging gas prices and the direct
affect they have on American families. These tele-town hall events
allowed constituents to participate in "live" interactive
question-and-answer sessions over the phone with Republican officials.

Democrats abruptly left town without addressing our nation's energy
crisis. This isn't what the American people elected us to do, and after
talking with my constituents, the vast majority of them want Congress to
take every reasonable action to bring gas prices down. This includes
promoting conservation and opening up America's energy supply.

Republicans remain committed to working in a bipartisan manner to
increase the supply of energy, and we will use every opportunity to talk
about solutions with our constituents.

**[Carter's Latest Weekly Radio Address Available]{.underline}**

In this week's 7:31 minute address, I discuss Congress' lack of action
on a number of bills including energy. The audio file is available at
for download on Congressman Carter's website at
[http://carter.house.gov/multimedia](http://carter.house.gov/multimedia/)
(right click on \"MP3\" and select "Save Target As" to download.)

**[Senate confirms general odierno]{.underline}**

This week the Senate confirmed Lt. Gen. Raymond Odierno to replace Gen.
Petraeus as the commander of the chief military officer in Iraq.

As the Representative for Fort Hood, Texas, the largest military base in
the nation and the former station of General Odierno, I have had the
privilege to meet with him both in Texas and on the ground in Iraq. He
worked hand in hand with General Petraeus to implement the new
counter-insurgency strategy in Iraq. I can tell you that there is no one
better qualified to lead our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. We in Texas
are proud of our new General and look forward to his success.

The Senate voted 95-2 in favor of Gen. David Petraeus as the top
commander in the Middle East and 96-1 for Lt. Gen. Odierno to replace
Petraeus as the chief military officer in Iraq. General Odierno will
receive a 4^th^ star as part of his promotion.

**[BIPARTISAN FISA BILL IS A VICTORY FOR THE AMERICAN
PEOPLE]{.underline}**

Texans know that there is nothing more important than the safety of our
children and grandchildren, and after months of political antics,
Congress finally sent a clear message to our enemies that we will not
take this security for granted.

This week, in a victory for the American people, the President signed
into law the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). This
bipartisan bill modernizes the outdated 1970's-era law which was written
to protect Americans from 1970's threats. Communicating in the 70s was
very different than communicating today. There was no Internet, email or
cell phones. Dealing with a 21^st^ century al-Qaeda with 1970's tools
doesn't work, and although this bill is long overdue, I am glad to
finally see the Democrat leadership compromise in order to get it
passed.

If we are serious about protecting the American people, as well as our
soldiers abroad, then we must give our intelligence officials the tools
they need to monitor terrorists plotting to kill Americans and our
allies. This bipartisan measure provides tools, safeguards the civil
liberties of every American, and adds critical retroactive liability
protections for telecommunication companies that assisted our government
after 9/11.

House Republicans worked hard to ensure that the process by which
telecommunication companies receive liability protection is not subject
to a feeding frenzy of trial lawyers. This bill instructs federal
district courts to dismiss civil law suits filed against companies that
worked with the federal government to snuff out possible terrorist
attacks after September 11.

House Democrats have done the right thing and compromised on this
critical issue after they stalled for months. Make no mistake, this
legislation is a victory for our intelligence community and the American
people, but it should have come sooner, especially given the fact that
the Senate passed a perfectly acceptable bipartisan bill more than five
months ago.

I have said repeatedly that keeping America safe from terrorist attacks
is not, and never should be, a partisan issue. I am pleased to see both
parties come together for the safety of Americans. I will continue to
fight to give our intelligence community the tools they need to keep our
country safe, and I hope this compromise signals the beginning of both
parties working together for the betterment of our country.