[House Hearing, 113 Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Printing Office]
EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES WITH RESPECT TO
PROMOTING ENERGY SECURITY OF EUROPEAN
ALLIES THROUGH OPENING UP THE SOUTHERN
GAS CORRIDOR
=======================================================================
MARKUP
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON EUROPE, EURASIA, AND EMERGING THREATS
OF THE
COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
ONE HUNDRED THIRTEENTH CONGRESS
FIRST SESSION
ON
H. Res. 284
__________
SEPTEMBER 19, 2013
__________
Serial No. 113-64
__________
Printed for the use of the Committee on Foreign Affairs
Available via the World Wide Web: http://www.foreignaffairs.house.gov/
or
http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/
______
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82-845 WASHINGTON : 2013
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COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS
EDWARD R. ROYCE, California, Chairman
CHRISTOPHER H. SMITH, New Jersey ELIOT L. ENGEL, New York
ILEANA ROS-LEHTINEN, Florida ENI F.H. FALEOMAVAEGA, American
DANA ROHRABACHER, California Samoa
STEVE CHABOT, Ohio BRAD SHERMAN, California
JOE WILSON, South Carolina GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York
MICHAEL T. McCAUL, Texas ALBIO SIRES, New Jersey
TED POE, Texas GERALD E. CONNOLLY, Virginia
MATT SALMON, Arizona THEODORE E. DEUTCH, Florida
TOM MARINO, Pennsylvania BRIAN HIGGINS, New York
JEFF DUNCAN, South Carolina KAREN BASS, California
ADAM KINZINGER, Illinois WILLIAM KEATING, Massachusetts
MO BROOKS, Alabama DAVID CICILLINE, Rhode Island
TOM COTTON, Arkansas ALAN GRAYSON, Florida
PAUL COOK, California JUAN VARGAS, California
GEORGE HOLDING, North Carolina BRADLEY S. SCHNEIDER, Illinois
RANDY K. WEBER SR., Texas JOSEPH P. KENNEDY III,
SCOTT PERRY, Pennsylvania Massachusetts
STEVE STOCKMAN, Texas AMI BERA, California
RON DeSANTIS, Florida ALAN S. LOWENTHAL, California
TREY RADEL, Florida GRACE MENG, New York
DOUG COLLINS, Georgia LOIS FRANKEL, Florida
MARK MEADOWS, North Carolina TULSI GABBARD, Hawaii
TED S. YOHO, Florida JOAQUIN CASTRO, Texas
LUKE MESSER, Indiana
Amy Porter, Chief of Staff Thomas Sheehy, Staff Director
Jason Steinbaum, Democratic Staff Director
------
Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats
DANA ROHRABACHER, California, Chairman
TED POE, Texas WILLIAM KEATING, Massachusetts
TOM MARINO, Pennsylvania GREGORY W. MEEKS, New York
JEFF DUNCAN, South Carolina ALBIO SIRES, New Jersey
PAUL COOK, California BRIAN HIGGINS, New York
GEORGE HOLDING, North Carolina ALAN S. LOWENTHAL, California
STEVE STOCKMAN, Texas
C O N T E N T S
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Page
MARKUP OF
H. Res. 284, Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives
with respect to promoting energy security of European allies
through opening up the Southern Gas Corridor................... 2
Amendment in the nature of a substitute to H. Res. 284 offered
by the Honorable Dana Rohrabacher, a Representative in
Congress from the State of California, and chairman,
Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats........ 7
APPENDIX
Markup notice.................................................... 18
Markup minutes................................................... 19
Markup summary................................................... 20
The Honorable Gregory W. Meeks, a Representative in Congress from
the State of New York: Prepared statement...................... 21
EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES WITH RESPECT TO
PROMOTING ENERGY SECURITY OF EUROPEAN ALLIES THROUGH OPENING UP THE
SOUTHERN GAS CORRIDOR
----------
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2013
House of Representatives,
Subcommittee on Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats,
Committee on Foreign Affairs,
Washington, DC.
The subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 2 p.m., in
room 2200, Rayburn House Office Building, Hon. Dana Rohrabacher
(chairman of the subcommittee) presiding.
Mr. Rohrabacher. I call this hearing of the Subcommittee on
Europe, Eurasia, and Emerging Threats to order, pursuant to
notice. For the purpose of markup, I call up. H. Resolution
284, expressing the sense of the House of Representatives with
respect to promoting energy security of European allies through
opening up the Southern Gas Corridor, and move its
recommendation go to full committee.
Without objection, the bipartisan amendment in the nature
of a substitute provided to all members earlier this week will
be the base text and is considered as read and open for an
amendment at any point.
[The information referred to follows:]
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Mr. Rohrabacher. I now recognize myself to speak on this
measure.
House Resolution 284, introduced by Congressman Turner, is
a timely piece of legislation which supports Azerbaijani, the
European Union efforts to promote the development of energy
reserves in the Caspian region and transportation lines to the
West. This will help further Europe's energy security and the
development of economic ties that will add stability to the
region.
This tremendous energy project will be an economic building
factor that will benefit a wide swath of global population.
Some see it as a balance to be used against Russia's influence,
and that is a very negative way to look at it. It instead
should be looked at as an uplifting project, not hostile to
anyone or any country. Making oil and gas more accessible, more
efficiently transported, and available to more people is a
positive thing. That is why I am supporting this legislation
and would not do so if the Southern Gas Corridor project was
aimed at hurting any one country, especially Russia.
This subcommittee has been investigating the issue of
resource competition in Central Asia in the Caucasus. The
United States should be supportive of our friends and allies
who are developing the energy resources and building
infrastructure which creates stability and lifts people out of
poverty.
I would especially like to highlight the significant role
Azerbaijan is playing to develop the Southern Gas Corridor.
Azerbaijan is an ally of the United States in a very tough part
of the world. After having been to Baku, it is my sincere hope
that the economic and security cooperation between our two
Nations will continue to grow. Azerbaijan has come a long way
since their independence from the Soviet Union, and we will
continue to be their friend as they keep on the path of
development of a vibrant economy and development of democratic
institutions that are good for the people and good for the
economy.
The bipartisan amendment in the nature of substitute, which
the ranking member and I have agreed to, includes an update to
reflect the final selection of the trans-Adriatic pipeline
route to carry natural gas from Caspian Sea to the markets in
Europe.
Members will have 5 days to submit their statements for the
record.
I now recognize my ranking member for his comments on this
resolution. Mr. Keating.
Mr. Keating. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And I thank you for
working with me to include language to narrow the scope of
today's resolution and promote energy-diversification
initiatives, such as the development of the Southern Gas
Corridor.
Although our focus today rests on the Southern Gas
Corridor, I support the promotion and development of energy-
diversification projects worldwide, including in Armenia and
Turkmenistan. Such projects have the added benefit of
increasing regional cooperation. Further, it might be cliche to
say that energy security is a national security issue, but the
fact remains that access to secure, reliable, affordable, and
sustainable energy is essential to America's future prosperity,
to defending our way of life, and to maintaining our global
leadership.
In recent years the United States has made tremendous
strides in energy security using new technologies to diversify
our energy mix and reduce our dependence on foreign sources.
While I personally would like to see greater emphasis made on
renewable types of energy sources, the progress we have made
thus far has strengthened America's political and economic
standing around the world.
It is in America's interest to help other countries
strengthen their own energy security, not just our partners and
allies, but countries around the world. Overdependence on a
single source of energy places a country at great risk in the
event of conflict or natural disaster. In cases where one
country depends almost exclusively on another for its energy,
it also increases vulnerability to threats and coercion.
Energy diversity dramatically reduces the risk of regional
conflict and instability. It also promotes competition and
innovation, which in turn reduce the cost of energy and
increase its availability, which in turn helps alleviate
poverty in developing countries and spur global economic
growth.
Innovation and new technologies have had a significant
effect on world energy markets by increasing the number of
energy-producing countries; however, equally significant
advancements in energy-delivery mechanisms are needed to enable
energy producers to export their energy to countries where
energy is scarce. By helping countries transform themselves
from energy producers into energy providers, we can
significantly enhance global energy security.
For decades, many European relied much too heavily on one
source of natural gas. Development of the Southern Corridor
project would change that reality by bringing vast reserves of
natural gas from the Caspian to an eager European market. The
United States can and should support this initiative by working
with Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, and the European Union and
its member states to further develop this important gas
corridor.
Mr. Chairman, American support for the Southern Corridor
project is not a zero-sum game intended to privilege one energy
producer over another, nor should it be viewed as part of a
global chess match. It is in the U.S. interests that our
European partners and allies have access to a diversity of
secure, reliable sources of energy. By helping to strengthen
Europe's energy security, we strengthen the transatlantic
partnership.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Rohrabacher. Thank you, Mr. Keating.
And I now recognize Judge Poe.
Mr. Poe. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
I would like to offer my support for H. Res. 284. The bill
recognizes the importance of European energy security.
Supporting the Southern Gas Corridor is one way to do that. The
Southern Gas Corridor reduces the EU's dependence on Russia by
allowing access to resources from the Caspian and Central Asian
regions.
Supporting a non-Russian and non-Iranian pipeline to move
natural gas from the Caspian region and Central Asia to Europe
should be a priority. EU member states rely on natural gas.
Natural gas comprised nearly 25 percent of the EU's primary
energy consumption in 2011, that number expected to grow about
30 percent by 2030. Far too long European customers have been
held hostage by the Russians. Mr. Chairman, I was in the
Ukraine when the Russians cut off the gas in the winter, and
they cut it off for political reasons, and I can tell you it
was cold in the Ukraine without that energy, and all because of
political reasons. So competition would promote security for
individual nations, but also for the region. Southern Gas
Corridor would allow Europe to be less reliant on Russia.
Just like the Caspian region, the U.S. has huge natural gas
reserves. In April, I had a hearing on expanding exports of
U.S. natural gas. U.S. companies want to export LNG to our
friends and allies abroad. Unfortunately, the Department of
Energy has been more of a hindrance than a help. Currently, in
order to export natural gas, a person, or a company, has to get
both a FERC and a DOE permit. FERC is approving the permits at
a reasonable rate; DOE is not. These companies are at a
standstill, so I am working on legislation to change that.
Under my bill, if a company has both a FERC permit and a
contract to export LNG, then DOE will have 60 days to either
approve or deny them a permit. If DOE does not reach a decision
in those 60 days, the company will get the permit to export.
Just like our friends in Europe, we don't have time to wait
around on government. In that same spirit, I would urge my
colleagues to support H. Res. 284.
I yield back.
Mr. Rohrabacher. Thank you very much, Your Honor.
And I now recognize Congressman Stockman from Texas.
Mr. Stockman. Thanks.
Mr. Chairman, I ask that you put my name also on the bill.
But in direction to my colleague, Mr. Poe, on the gas, if you
do that, please add my name to the bill because it is
important, especially to my district. We are anxiously awaiting
on the DOE also.
I just got back from Azerbaijan, and this is a nation which
has really turned around quite significantly. It is a nation
which the GDP, since the new leader has taken over and gone to
free economics, has developed very rapidly, and this is good
not just for Europe, but it is also good for the region and for
competition. And I just--excited that you are--Mr. Chairman,
that you have introduced it.
And I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. Rohrabacher. Thank you very much.
And would you--do you have a statement?
Mr. Marino. No, sir.
Mr. Rohrabacher. All right. Well, you got here just in
time.
So no other members, I see, are seeking to speak on this
resolution. So are there any amendments to this resolution?
All right. Hearing no amendments, the question occurs on
the motion to report H. Res. 284 favorably, as amended. All in
favor, say ``aye.''
All opposed?
I don't hear any. In the opinion of the Chair, the ayes
have it. The motion is approved. The bill is reported
favorably.
Okay. That is it. Is there anyone--no other requests? That
is it.
Want to thank the members and the staff for all their
assistance. And let us move forward now with full committee.
And, as I say, I think that when we are facilitating this--a
transportation, we are making energy more accessible throughout
the world, wherever that is. That is a positive thing. It
uplifts people. We are talking about the creating the existence
of wealth. And the existence of wealth is a very positive
thing, especially for people who are trying to uplift their
conditions in so many parts of the world, especially now
Central Asia, which is the focus of this committee.
So with that said, the subcommittee now stands adjourned.
[Whereupon, at 2:15 p.m., the subcommittee was adjourned.]
A P P E N D I X
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