The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS” mentioning the Department of Interior was published in the Senate section on pages S3444-S3446 on April 28, 2008.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS
By Mr. BINGAMAN (by request):
S. 2922. A bill to repeal certain oil and gas incentives established in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
Mr. BINGAMAN. Mr. President, I rise to introduce by request a bill transmitted by the Administration that would eliminate mandatory royalty relief incentives for the oil and gas industry on the Outer Continental Shelf, OCS, in the Gulf of Mexico. I share the administration's position that these royalty incentives should not apply to future OCS oil and gas lease sales on a mandatory basis.
Section 344 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, EPAct, requires the Secretary of the Interior to provide for royalty relief for the production of deep gas from the OCS. Section 345 of EPAct requires the Secretary to extend royalty relief for oil and gas produced from deep water of the OCS. Under these provisions, at certain prices a set quantity of federally-owned oil and gas is allowed to be produced without any royalty payment by industry to the United States. Similar royalty relief language, included in legislation enacted in 1995, has given rise to circumstances that may expose the Treasury to up to an estimated $60 billion in forgone royalty revenues.
Neither deep gas nor deep water royalty relief is warranted in this price climate. Last year, the administration requested that these incentives be repealed. The President's proposed budget for fiscal year 2009 renews this request. I hope that my colleagues will join me in supporting this legislation.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill and a letter of support be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:
S. 2922
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. REPEAL OF CERTAIN OIL AND GAS INCENTIVES.
Sections 344 and 345 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15904, 15905) are repealed.
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Department of the Interior,
Office of the Secretary,
Washington, DC, April 7, 2008.Hon. Jeff Bingaman,Chairman, Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, U.S.
Senate, Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. Chairman: Enclosed is a copy of the letter sent to the President of the Senate on August 20, 2007, urging the Senate to consider legislation ``to repeal certain oil and gas incentives contained in the Energy Policy Act of 2005.'' This legislative proposal would end the mandatory royalty relief incentives for future OCS lease sales.
I want to make sure that you are aware of the significance and time sensitivity of this legislative proposal. The next Gulf of Mexico lease sale is scheduled in August of 2008. By law, the Minerals Management Service (MMS) must publish a final notice of sale with final terms and conditions, including royalty relief incentives, at least 30 days prior to the sale. To ensure that any legislative changes are reflected in the final notice of sale for the August sale, this issue must be resolved by July 1.
Please note that an immediate repeal of the mandatory royalty relief is supported by the Administration. Provisions to support the repeal are included in the President's Fiscal Year 2008 budget and cleared by the Office of Management and Budget. Prompt action is now needed by Congress if the repeal of the mandatory royalty relief is to be included in the fast approaching Gulf of Mexico sale.
Your immediate attention would be greatly appreciated. I am personally available to discuss this legislation with you and answer any questions you or your staff may have.
Sincerely,
C. Stephen Allred,
Assistance Secretary,Land and Minerals Management.
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Department of the Interior,
Office of the Secretary,
Washington, DC, April 20, 2007.Hon. Richard B. Cheney,President of the Senate,Washington, DC.
Dear Mr. President: Enclosed is a draft bill, ``to repeal certain oil and gas incentives contained in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and for other purposes.''
I recommend that the draft bill be introduced, referred to the appropriate committee for consideration, and enacted.
The repeal of sections 344 and 345 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (Energy Policy Act) has been proposed in the President's Fiscal Year 2008 budget. Section 344 of the Energy Policy Act extended existing deep gas incentives by mandating a royalty suspension volume of at least 35 billion cubic feet of natural gas for certain wells completed at depths greater than 20,000 feet sub-sea on leases located in 0-400 meters of water. Section 344 also directed that the same methodology used to calculate suspension volumes in the Minerals Management Service's 2004 rule for wells completed between 15,000 feet and 20,000 feet sub-sea on leases in 0-200 meters of water be applied to leases in 200-400 meters of water. Section 345 of the Energy Policy Act provided mandatory royalty suspension volumes for leases in water depths greater than 400 meters issued in the first five years after the Energy Policy Act's enactment (August 8, 2005-August 8, 2010).
Repeal of Sections 344 and 345 of the Energy Policy Act would eliminate incentives and royalty relief that we believe are unwarranted in today's price environment.
The Office of Management and Budget has advised that the enactment of this draft bill would be in accord with the program of the President.
An identical letter is being sent to the Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Sincerely,
C. Stephen Allred,
Assistant Secretary,Land and Minerals Management.
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A Bill
To repeal certain oil and gas incentives contained in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and fur other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That sections 344 and 345 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005 (42 U.S.C. 15904 and 15905) are repealed.
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Section by Section Summary
A bill to repeal certain oil and gas incentives contained in the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and for other purposes.
This bill would repeal incentives for natural gas production from deep wells in shallow waters of the Gulf of Mexico and royalty relief for deep water production in the Gulf of Mexico.
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By Mr. AKAKA:
S. 2923. A bill to provide for a three-year extension of the Senior oversight Committee on wounded warrior matters, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Armed Services.
Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, today I am introducing the proposed Senior Oversight Committee Extension Act of 2008 The VA and DoD Senior Oversight Committee--the SOC--has been an important component of ongoing efforts to ensure that the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Defense work together to improve the treatment and care of our Nation's wounded warriors. This bill requires a 3-year extension of the VA and DoD SOC so that it may continue its vitally important oversight function.
As a result of the problems identified at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in May 2007, VA and DoD established the SOC to identify corrective actions. It was tasked with reviewing and overseeing the implementation of the recommendations of the various task forces and study groups which were established to study problems related to the transitioning of seriously injured servicemembers. Today, the SOC and its supporting staff continue to work toward implementing policies and procedures to streamline and expedite joint efforts to provide seriously injured servicemembers and veterans with the best care available.
The SOC is currently co-chaired by the Deputy Secretary of Defense and the Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs. It brings together the most senior VA and DoD officials on a regular basis to ensure that the decisions designed to improve care, recovery, rehabilitation and reintegration of seriously injured servicemembers are made in a timely and efficient manner. It is supported by a full-time joint VA and DoD staff that is responsible for coordinating, integrating and synchronizing the activities of the Committee.
The Administration's current plan is for the SOC to hand over its responsibilities next January to the existing VA and DoD Joint Executive Council. However, the Joint Executive Council has neither a full time staff nor the equivalent involvement of senior VA and DoD officials. The JEC staff has neither the resources nor the leverage within the individual Departments to carry out the essential work that the SOC has managed. Veterans' organizations who testified at the April 23, 2008, Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee hearing support the need to extend the SOC rather than transfer responsibilities to the Joint Executive Council.
Although I am pleased with the progress that has been achieved over the past year on improving VA and DoD cooperation and collaboration, much work remains. I am concerned that, in the future, without the full weight of VA and DoD leadership behind these activities, an ongoing commitment to solving the problems related to the goal of seamless transition and a full time staff to track implementation, there is a very real risk of returning to the bureaucratic lethargy which contributed to the Walter Reed scandal. We have come too far to return to those days.
I am a firm believer in the adage that what the boss checks is what gets done. To make sure the boss--in this case, the Secretaries of Veterans Affairs and Defense--keep an eye on coordination and cooperation between the two departments, I am introducing this legislation to provide the two Secretaries with authority to extend the work of the SOC for 3 years, to ensure the continued existence of a joint body that will serve as the single point of contact for the oversight, strategy and integration of policies and procedures pertaining to the seriously injured.
With the upcoming change in Administration, there can be no wavering on the high level of attention that the Departments have brought to issues of coordination and cooperation. I am committed to sustaining this effort for as long as there are servicemembers in combat.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:
S. 2923
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Senior Oversight Committee Extension Act of 2008''.
SEC. 2. THREE-YEAR EXTENSION OF SENIOR OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE
WITH RESPECT TO WOUNDED WARRIOR MATTERS.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly take such actions as are appropriate, including the allocation of appropriate personnel, funding, and other resources, to continue the operations of the Senior Oversight Committee until September 30, 2011.
(b) Report on Further Extension of Committee.--Not later than December 31, 2010, the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly submit to Congress a report setting forth the joint recommendation of the Secretaries as to the advisability of continuing the operations of the Senior Oversight Committee after September 30, 2011. If the Secretaries recommend that continuing the operations of the Senior Oversight Committee after September 30, 2011, is advisable, the report may include such recommendations for the modification of the responsibilities, composition, or support of the Senior Oversight Committee as the Secretaries jointly consider appropriate.
(c) Senior Oversight Committee Defined.--In this section, the term ``Senior Oversight Committee'' means the Senior Oversight Committee jointly established by the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in May 2007 to address concerns related to the treatment of wounded, ill, and injured members of the Armed Forces and veterans and serve as the single point of contact for oversight, strategy, and integration of proposed strategies for the efforts of the Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs to improve support throughout the recovery, rehabilitation, and reintegration of wounded, ill, or injured members of the Armed Forces.
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By Mr. AKAKA:
S. 2926. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to modify and update provisions of law relating to nonprofit research and education corporations, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Mr. AKAKA. Mr. President, I am introducing legislation concerning the nonprofit research and education corporations--NPCs--that serve the Department of Veterans Affairs. These organizations provide essential support to research and education at VA facilities around the country. My legislation will amend the law which authorizes NPCs so as to better reflect their mission and the needs of VA, as well as strengthen control and oversight of these entities.
The legislation which authorizes NPCs was enacted in 1988 to allow the establishment of these entities as flexible funding mechanisms for the conduct of research and education at VA medical centers. In 2006, 85 NPCs expended $227 million in support of over 5,000 VA research and education programs. NPCs give VA the opportunity to access and manage research funds from sources outside of VA, while maintaining VA oversight.
Twenty years have passed since the inception of NPCs, and it is time to update the law governing their operation. VA's research needs have shifted and the function of NPCs has evolved. I will highlight a few of the corrections this legislation would make.
NPCs are nonprofit 501(c)(3) organizations that are entirely dedicated to serving VA research. They efficiently administer VA research funds, and provide access to some funds that VA would otherwise be unable to access. Unfortunately, given their close affiliation with VA, and due in part to various state laws, NPC nonprofit status is in some situations unclear. My legislation would explicitly identify the nonprofit status of NPCs under IRS code. It would also make clear that NPCs are not owned or controlled by the U.S. Government, and are not agencies or instrumentalities of the U.S.
As the utility and appeal of NPCs have grown, their numbers have expanded. While this growth is positive, it is not always efficient or feasible for a medical center to establish and manage its own NPC. The legislation would create authority for multi-medical center NPCs to be shared among a number of medical centers. Condensing numerous NPCs into one would retain the local affiliations that make them valuable and effective, but would achieve greater efficiency and economy of scale by combining administrative resources.
The legislation would make additional adjustments in other areas. It would expand VA's oversight capability. It would clarify existing authority for NPCs to transfer funds among medical centers, and it would clarify reimbursement processes. It would also modify the required composition of NPC governance boards, to allow individuals with a wider range of expertise to serve.
I believe these proposed changes would facilitate better working relationships between NPCs and VA, thereby achieving better support of VA research and education. I am confident that these provisions will make an effective source of support for VA even stronger.
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