Date: 2007-06-19
Speaker: GENE GREEN (democrat)
Chamber: H
State: Texas

Mr. Chairman. I want to thank my colleague. my good friend from Indiana and Chair of the subcommittee. for bringing up thiS important piece of legislation. I rise in strong support of H.R. 2641. I am particularly pleased the committee has provided the Army Corps of Engineers with $5.6 billion. which is $713 million more than the Presidents request and $246 million more than last years appropriations. These funds will help strengthen qur Nations flood control programs and navigation infrastructure. which is particularly important to my district. Along the Houston Ship Channel. we have requested $35 million for operations and main-� tenance on the deepening and widening project. This continued O&M funding would be used to keep the channel at its authorized depth. which is critical to keeping the channel navigable for the tankers that bring in crude oil to our refineries. Wealso have submitted a request for the environmental mitigation required as a result of the deepening and widening project and would hope that the committee will give that request its full consideration in conference. Our area relies heavily on Corps of Engineers funding. since were not only an energyproducing area but also a lowlying area in the middle of a flood plain. I am hopeful that a portion of the increased funding for the Army Corps of Engineers can be directed to Greens Bayou. Hunting Bayou and Halls Bayou. which were flooded during Tropical Storm Allison in 2001. These authorized projects are located in bluecollar residential areas in my district. where the threat of future flooding is all too real. We dodged Hurricane Rita in 2005. but we need to step up our flood control efforts on these projects to give our residents adequate protection when the next storm hits. I appreciate the committees continued understanding of the pressing flood control needs in our area. I am also hopeful funding can be provided for other meritorious projects in our district. including the University of Houstons Center for Clean Fuels and Power Generation. the Very High Differential Pressuie Subsea Multiphase Pumping System. and the Texas Hydrogen Highway. This bill also makes a significant investment in researching and developing alt6rnative energy sources which will lead us away from our dependence on fossil fuels. The bill provides $1.6 billion for research into solar energy. biomass and biorefinery systems. technologies to reduce vehicle emissions. and technologies to make buildings more energy efficient. It also provides much needed resources for weatherization assistance grants which will weatherproof the homes of lowincome disabled and elderly individuals. An investment in new sources of energy is critical to meeting our future energy needs. but in the interim we must continue to improve on the conventional sources of energy we use today. That is why I am pleased this bill funds the demonstration of technology that captures carbon exhaust. and researches how to make fossil fuels more efficient and sustainable. These investments in both conventional and renewable energy research will help meet Americas future energy needs and diversify our energy portfolio. The University of Houstons Center for Clean Fuels and Power Generation is contributing to this effort. and I have requested funding for the centers expansion. The centers work to conduct crossdisciplinary research and develop technology to spur the discovery and commercialization of new fuels to provide the Nations transportation and construction sectors with lowcost. reliable and sustainable power sources. I hope the committee will work with us to include funding for this important project in conference. I commend the Chairman. and also my good friend from Texas. Congressman CHET EDWARDS. for their hard work on this legislation. and urge my colleagues to support the bill.