Duncan Working to Develop South Carolina's Offshore Energy
Congressmen Jeff Duncan and Trey Gowdy were guest Speakers at the April 24 luncheon of the Greenville County Republican Women’s Club. The Third and Fourth District Congressmen share Greenville County since redistricting. Gowdy has northern Greenville County and Duncan has the southern half.
The Congressmen picked their topics and Duncan addressed a favorite topic pertaining to the challenges and benefits of developing South Carolina’s off-shore energy reserves.
Gowdy addressed his passionate concern for the erosion of the rule of law in the United States at the federal level.
Rep. Gowdy serves on the House Committee on Education and the workforce, ethics, Judiciary, and Oversight and Government Reform. He also serves as chairman of the Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security for the Judiciary Committee.
His skill and passion for seeking and rooting out truth as a member of the Oversight committee has earned the former prosecutor a national reputation and he is one of the most sought after guests for television talk show hosts. It was not surprising that Gowdy would talk about the rule of law and abused in the White House, Justice Department and elsewhere in Washington, D. C.
“What makes this nation unique among all the nations on earth is our respect for the rule of law,” Gowdy informed the women and their guests. “
“Law is the foundation of our ordered society. Law is the greatest equalizing force on the planet, and law is the greatest unifying force on the planet. It puts the richest and the poorest people on the same level,” he explained.
“That is why I get so dismayed when I see an erosion in our rules of law. We are not a nation of good intentions. We are not a nation of good motives. We are a nation of laws.
“Jeff ( Congressman Duncan) and I work in a body that passes laws., but we are not the body that faithfully executes these laws. That is the Executive Branch.
“Jeff and I do not have a constitutional obligation to take care that the laws be faithfully executed, but the President does and so does the Attorney General.
“Though he may complain that our criticism of him is based on politics or race, nothing could be further from the truth.”
Gowdy concluded to thunderous applause: “My criticism of him is that he has completely politicized the Department of Justice and if anything in this culture should be above politics, it should be a blindfolded woman holding a set of scales. That should be above politics.”
Despite roadblocks created by the Environmental Protection agency and environmentalist organizations, Rep/ Duncan said he and Sen. Tim Scott are forging ahead on efforts to open up the offshore areas of South Carolina to energy development.
The South Carolina coast has not been surveyed for energy products for thirty years, the Congressman said. New technology indicates that large reserves may exist far enough offshore that drilling rigs cannot be seen from the beach and where water is no more than 120 feet deep.
Duncan believes that advocates for exploration can win the environmental arguments. Development of off-shore energy would provide a significant boost to the South Carolina economy.
Third District Congressman Duncan currently serves on three House Committees. They are the Natural Resources Committee, the Homeland Security Committee, and the Foreign Affairs Committee. In addition, he serves as chairman of the Subcommittee of Homeland Security’s Oversight and Management Efficiency Subcommittee.
Congressman Duncan also serves on the Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission. He is judged by many to be the most conservative member of Congress. In September 2011, Duncan became the only member of Congress with a 100 percent rating on the Heritage Action for America legislative scoreboard.
