Conaway Votes to Lift Oil Export Ban, Repeal COOL, Fund Military

Washington  –  Today, Congressman Mike Conaway voted to lift the decades old oil export ban, repeal the harmful Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) regulation, provide for our national defense, and block Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) overreach. These provisions, and the many others in the 2016 Omnibus Appropriations bill, passed the House of Representatives with overwhelming Republican support. The Senate passed this bill shortly after the House of Representatives did.

“The House of Representatives has voted multiple times to lift the antiquated oil export ban, and with each vote, we’ve gained more support and momentum for this critical issue. The 11th Congressional District of Texas will benefit immensely from the economic growth and job creation that will stem from allowing crude oil exports. Thanks to the hard work of my colleagues and all those who made their voice heard on this important matter, we finally saw the Senate vote to lift the oil export ban and the President is expected sign this bill into law, improving our nation’s economy and increasing our national security,” said Rep. Conaway.

“With this legislation, we helped negate the drastic cuts President Obama has made to the military. It is vital that we provide for our national defense by ensuring that our men and women in uniform have the resources they need to be successful, and rolling back the damaging cuts from this President was an important first step.

“In addition, this bill repeals COOL for beef and pork products, helping the United States avoid over $1 billion in annual retaliatory fees. The COOL regulation is a violation of our trade commitments, making this repeal critical to the future of our trading relationships. This bill contains no funding for new or expanded EPA programs, and keeps the agency at its lowest funding levels since before President Obama took office. The EPA has meddled in far too many communities and businesses, stunting economic growth and job creation. This bill is a great step towards reining in EPA overreach.

“In light of recent terror attacks, this legislation also tightened the visa waiver program for individuals who have visited high risk nations, such as Syria, Iraq, Iran, or Sudan since 2011. By using a higher standard for visa waivers, we are reducing the hazard of high risk individuals entering the United States.

“America needs the security of a strong national defense and a growing economy.  It is because of these programs and many more that I and the majority of Republicans in the House of Representatives voted for this legislation, and look forward to the President signing it into law.”