National Ocean Policy: Stakeholder Perspectives

Testimony
December 12, 2017

Thank you, Chairman Sullivan, Ranking Member Peters, and members of the Committee. I am Christopher Guith, senior vice president of the Global Energy Institute (Institute), an affiliate of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than three million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations, and dedicated to promoting, protecting, and defending America’s free enterprise system.

The mission of the Institute is to unify policymakers, regulators, business leaders, and the American public behind a common sense energy strategy to help keep America secure, prosperous, and clean. In that regard we hope to be of service to this Committee, this Congress as a whole, and the administration. 

Thank you for convening this hearing. The business community views the National Ocean Policy, which was set in motion by an Executive Order from President Obama, as an unnecessary, bureaucratic, and unauthorized regulatory action that creates significant risk and uncertainty to both private and public sector investment and legal regulatory processes already in place. This policy has been developed with little transparency and notice from the American businesses and other stakeholders that the policy could impact most. We applaud this Subcommittee, and Congress at large, for utilizing its oversight function to examine the National Ocean Policy and highlight the new and unnecessary barriers it has created that jeopardize economic growth.