Greetings!
I wanted to take a moment to share with you a recap on what happened last week in Texas' 22nd District and the United States House of Representatives.
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Chairman Nehls' Bipartisan PIPES Act of 2023 Passes House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee |
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The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee passed the Pipeline Efficiency and Safety (PIPES) Act of 2023, which reauthorizes the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration’s (PHMSA) pipeline safety programs for the next four years and provides the framework to advance the safety of energy infrastructure across the country.
This bill makes important strides in helping reduce regulatory overreach, protects our nation's pipeline infrastructure and workers from the out-of-touch acts of radical environmentalists, ensures agency resources and activities remain focused on its core mission, and enables the advancement of new energy sources such as hydrogen and the build-out of pipelines for carbon dioxide utilization and storage.
As Chairman of the Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee, I am proud to have worked on this critical piece of legislation with Chairman Graves, Ranking Member Larsen, and Subcommittee Ranking Member Payne to better ensure the safe transportation of our energy abundance to end users and consumers.
Transportation and Infrastructure Chairman Sam Graves said: "The United States is blessed with abundant energy resources, and new technologies and processes make it possible to safely and affordably produce and transport vast quantities of American energy, reversing the production declines of the past. Pipelines remain the safest and most economically efficient means of delivering these resources. This bill ensures the right balance between environmentally-friendly U.S. production and the safe transportation of all our energy resources, ensuring that we remain a competitive global leader in the production and exportation of newer energy resources. I want to thank Chairman Nehls and Ranking Members Larsen and Payne for their hard work in developing this bipartisan bill."
Specifically, this bill:
- Strengthens standards for excavation damage prevention.
- Creates a criminal penalty for those causing a defect in or disrupting the operation of a pipeline infrastructure.
- Streamlines regulatory coordination among federal agencies and reduces duplicative oversight of liquified natural gas facilities.
- Requires the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHSMA) to hold at least two meetings annually of the Gas Pipeline Advisory Committee (GPAC) and the Liquid Advisory Committee (LPAC).
- Establishes a rule for the minimum safety standard for the transportation and temporary storage incidental to transportation of carbon dioxide in a gaseous state.
- Creates risk-based inspections of in-service breakout tanks.
The United States is blessed with abundant energy sources, and the great state of Texas remains the leading state in energy production, from all sources. The oil and gas pipeline industry in Texas alone generates billions in economic output, hundreds of thousands of jobs, and billions in state and local government revenue.
Congress must do everything in its power to protect American energy.
Read more about the PIPES Act of 2023 HERE.
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Rep. Troy E. Nehls Joins the House Natural Resources Committee to Examine the National Parks Air Tour Management Program |
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This week, the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations held an important hearing to expose the devastating impacts of Air Tour Management Plans (ATMPs).
The National Park Service (NPS) has abused the National Parks Air Tour Management Program (ATMP) and is poised to essentially eliminate air tour flights over certain National Park units without sufficiently consulting air tour operators and the National Parks Overflights Advisory Group.
Eliminating air tours limits access to the National Park System for the elderly, those with physical limitations, and those with limited time and resources to travel. Poorly designed ATMPs also affect emergency services that air tour operators provide for surrounding gateway communities and displace a workforce that often transitions to fields experiencing pilot shortages such as emergency services, law enforcement, and firefighting.
Air tour operators provide a breath-taking experience for visitors, which should remain and increase. Additionally, air tours also have many other added benefits such as alleviating overcrowding, wait times, pollution from traffic congestion, and litter in national parks, which leads to an overall poorer visitor experience.
The Biden Administration is intent on handicapping an entire industry, which operates across numerous states and national park units, and represents a vital option for visitors seeking to experience the beauty of our national parks.
In light of these troubling concerns, the House unanimously passed my amendment by voice vote on November 3, 2023, to H.R. 4821, the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, to prohibit funds made available to the National Park Service to place any limitation on the number of air tours at national parks. It is my hope that the Senate will do the same.
Watch my remarks from the hearing HERE.
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Rep. Troy E. Nehls Votes 'Yes' to Pass the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales (CARS) Act |
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In April 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a proposed rule that would set stringent emissions standards for criteria pollutants and greenhouse gasses for light-duty and medium-duty vehicles. The EPA’s proposed rule is projected to force over two-thirds of all new vehicles to be electric by 2032.
This week, I voted 'YES' and the United States House of Representatives passed the Choice in Automobile Retail Sales (CARS) Act of 2023, which would stop President Biden’s agenda to force Americans to drive electric vehicles.
President Biden and the White House cannot continue to force their extreme "New Green Deal" agenda on hardworking American families. Americans should be able to make their own choice about what vehicle is right for them without bureaucratic overreach from federal agencies.
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Rep. Troy E. Nehls Attends House Judiciary Markup on FISA |
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In 1978, Congress enacted the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) in response to revelations that the federal government had seriously abused warrantless surveillance, resulting in rampant privacy violations.
Unfortunately, the intelligence community, and particularly the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), has used its intelligence authority to improperly, and often illegally, spy on Americans without a warrant, including Trump campaign associates.
This week, the House Judiciary Committee advanced the Protect Liberty and End Warrantless Surveillance Act, which would end the warrantless surveillance of Americans and combat the weaponization of the federal government.
Specifically, this legislation overhauls Section 702 of FISA, which was intended to allow the federal government to conduct targeted surveillance of foreign nationals outside of the United States, without needing to obtain a warrant. However, in recent years, the data of American citizens has been swept up when monitoring foreign persons, kept by the intelligence agencies, and later accessed without a warrant. This is unacceptable.
I voted to pass this legislation out of the House Judiciary Committee to rein in federal agencies' abuse of Fourth Amendment rights and close the backdoor surveillance on American citizens.
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Attention Veterans: Do you need assistance with your VA claims? |
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If you can’t get an answer from the VA in a timely fashion, or if you feel you have been treated unfairly, my office may be able to help resolve a problem or get you the information you need. In addition, we can connect you with an accredited Veterans Service Officer (VSO). VSOs are trained and certified in the VA claims and appeals processes and work on behalf of Veterans and service members—as well as their dependents and survivors. Call my office at (346) 762-6597 or visit my website and let me know how I can be of assistance.
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Information About the Ongoing Situation in Israel |
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The Department of State continues to closely monitor the security situation in Israel. The Department has a 24/7 coordinating group communicating with U.S. citizens and providing them assistance through phone calls and an online form. U.S. citizens seeking to be in touch with the U.S. Embassy in Israel can fill out the form (https://cacms.state.gov/s/crisis-intake) or call 1-833-890-9595 or 1-606-641-0131.
While commercial flights remain available and should be considered a first option, the State Department will soon offer departure assistance to American citizens through chartered transportation. American citizens who want to leave Israel on USG-chartered transportation must submit a Crisis Intake Form. After submitting a Crisis Intake Form, American citizens can expect an email from the State Department with additional guidance imminently. Please check your spam/junk mailboxes if you do not receive an email.
For more information, please visit my website, or call my district office at (346) 762-6600.
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LAST WEEK'S POLL QUESTION RESULTS |
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Do you agree with the Biden Administration's response to the Hamas terrorist attack in Israel that killed 1,300 people?
YES 31.5%
NO 68.5%
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I always appreciate learning about the issues that are important to you. If you have a concern, please contact me HERE.
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Use this QR code to follow my Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter accounts and join my Newsletter for updates. It's an honor to represent you and the great state of Texas in the United States House of Representatives.
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Do you agree with the Biden Administration's decision to forgive nearly $5 billion in student loans? |
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Troy E. Nehls
Member of Congress
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By participating in the survey, you are opting into further communication from Rep. Nehls |
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