Flores, Bill Rep

<strong><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">LCV 6-9%  http://scorecard.lcv.org/moc/bill-flores</font></strong>

<strong><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></strong></p><p><strong><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">activ suppress crit infra</font></strong></p><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">=</span></font></div><div><a href="https://theintercept.com/2019/09/27/pipeline-safety-legislation/"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" color="#000000">https://theintercept.com/2019/09/27/pipeline-safety-legislation/</font></a></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">no lnx docs</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">oil lOBBYISTS ATTEMPT TO INFLUENCE PIPELINE SAFETY LEGISLATION TO FURTHER CRIMINALIZE PIPELINE PROTESTS</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Lee Fang, Nick Surgey</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">September 27 2019</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>THE OIL AND GAS industry is seeking to harness must-pass federal safety legislation to enact sweeping provisions that would criminalize activism against pipelines. The measures would make it a felony for individuals to tamper with pipeline facilities or obstruct pipeline construction, documents obtained by The Intercept and Documented show.</b></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">The provisions expand the scope of criminal liability for those found to be “interfering with the operation” of any pipeline facility, including infrastructure that is under construction, </span>according to a copy of proposed language offered to legislators by industry officials. If passed, those convicted of interfering with pipeline operations could face up to 20 years in prison.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The draft language was provided to legislators by the <b>Association of Oil Pipelines</b>, a lobbying group in Washington, D.C., that represents Koch Industries, Kinder Morgan, TransCanada, Phillips 66, Energy Transfer Partners, Enbridge, Plains All American, and other major oil and gas pipeline interests.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">A number of legislators, including Reps. Mike Bost, R-Ill., and Dan Lipinski, D-Ill., have been receptive to AOPL’s efforts to attempt to tuck criminal penalty provisions into the federal pipeline safety reauthorization legislation,</span> which Congress is seeking to pass before the current authorization expires on September 30.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">AOPL Proposed Legislative Text</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">1 page</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The legislative gambit is the latest in a two-year effort by oil and gas companies to use enhanced police powers to prevent another wave of protests akin to the demonstrations around the Dakota Access and Keystone XL pipelines. In the industry’s view, the strengthened criminal penalties are necessary to prevent potentially dangerous tampering with the operation of pipeline infrastructure, including manipulation of valves or other forms of physical destruction.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In states across the country, similar laws, also crafted directly by oil and gas interests, have been enacted to increase penalties for obstructing pipeline construction or, in some cases, to even create new criminal penalties for those “conspiring” with perpetrators.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Last month, The Intercept obtained a leaked recording revealing a prominent oil and gas lobbyist touting his role in crafting a template version of the criminalization bill used as the basis for nearly every new state-level law designed to penalize pipelines protests.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Now, those efforts appear to be targeting Capitol Hill to amend federal law. In early June, the Trump administration’s Department of Transportation released its own federal pipeline safety legislation, introduced in the Senate, that mirrored industry demands to create criminal penalties of up to 20 years in prison for “inhibiting the operation” of an oil or gas pipeline.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Newly obtained documents show that AOPL has pushed aggressively to also shape two pipeline safety bills moving through Congress in the House of Representatives.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>
</b></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>In June, Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, including Rep. Bill Flores, R-Texas, attempted to push forward with criminalization provisions on its pipeline safety bill, H.R. 3432, but were<span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);"> rebuffed by Democrats.</span></b></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 102);">An update on legislation, sent in August to oil and gas lobbyists, notes that the H.R. 3432, failed to include the oil pipeline lobbyist demand for criminalization provisions, in part due to opposition from Rep. Bobby Rush, D-Ill., a senior lawmaker on the committee, along with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
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</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">AOPL</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">1 page</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, meanwhile, has been more receptive to industry concerns. Over the summer, committee leaders circulated a draft of another pipeline safety bill in discussion among lawmakers. AOPL lobbyists noted that Lipinski, a senior lawmaker on the Transportation Committee who is generally regarded as one of the most conservative members of the Democratic caucus, has been “open to legislative action to deter attacks on pipeline facilities and workers.”</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">AOPL has rallied its corporate members to exert pressure on Lipinski as its key champion for House Democrats to include the criminalization provisions. In an alert sent to other lobbyists, AOPL encouraged direct outreach to Lipinski and Alex Beckmann, the Lipinski staffer working primarily on pipeline issues, to remind his office about the importance of including the criminal penalty provisions. Bost, a senior GOP member of the Transportation Committee, is referred to as the industry’s “House champion” on the push to include new criminal penalties.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>
</b></font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Lipinski, a member of the business-friendly Blue Dog caucus member,</b> is facing a rematch in the primary next year against Marie Newman, a progressive challenger. The Illinois incumbent has fundraised heavily from the oil and gas sector over the course of his career, including corporate PAC donations this cycle from AOPL member companies Plains All American and Phillips 66.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“Congressman Lipinski would never support legislation that takes away the First Amendment rights of protesters,” Phil Davidson, a spokesperson for Lipinski, told The Intercept in a statement. “Labor and industry have approached the congressman on the issue of safety in light of some incidents that have occurred. The congressman has made clear that while maintaining safety is critical, he would not be supportive of anything that takes away the legitimate right to protest.”</font></div><div>
</div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>In an email, John Stoody, AOPL vice president for government and public relations,</b> underscored his belief that the criminalization provisions sought by industry are “narrowly targeted to specific dangerous activities threatening working and public safety” and include “specific First Amendment reference protecting free speech and right of assembly.”</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Stoody noted that the industry still hopes that “<b>Reps. Rush and Ocasio-Cortez </b>would join pipeline operators in opposing the shooting, torching or potentially blowing up of pipeline facilities” and confirmed that Bost and Flores are the industry’s champions in advancing their interests. The pipeline industry also shared its legislative proposal with Lipinski, Stoody added.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Meanwhile, advocates are fighting to resist the measures, which they say are part of a larger strategy to intimidate and imprison activists seeking to prevent the spread of oil and gas infrastructure. Earlier this month, the American Civil Liberties Union won a major victory, securing a federal court injunction against the industry-crafted law in South Dakota that criminalized “riot-boosting” protests of pipeline infrastructure. The Center for Constitutional Rights has challenged a similar industry-backed law in Louisiana.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“It is deeply troubling to learn that the House of Representatives may be engaged in a bipartisan effort to include language like this in federal law,” said Kathleen Ruane, senior legislative counsel with the ACLU, citing recent legislation designed to counter the demonstrations at Standing Rock.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“Proponents of these anti-protest measures claim that they are intended to ensure safety,” Ruane added. “However, there are already laws on the books for that. These measures are clearly intended to chill the speech of environmental activists, Native American tribes, and their allies in the fight to protect their lands and water.”</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>Greenpeace</b>, too, has tracked the spread of similar industry-authored proposals as they have been introduced in more than two dozen state capitols. Connor Gibson, a research specialist with Greenpeace, echoed Ruane’s concerns.</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">
</font></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“Oil companies are blatantly attempting to ghostwrite federal law, and they are making sure that peaceful protest activity would be punished in the same manner that acts of violence or sabotage would be,” Gibson said.</font></div></div><div><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span times="Times" new="New" roman="Roman" font-size="font-size" large="large" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">=</span></font></div><p><strong><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">=</font></strong></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 10px; -webkit-margin-before: 1em; -webkit-margin-after: 1em; color: rgb(66, 66, 66); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In a <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Politico</em> article detailing how President-elect Donald Trump’s “horde of enforcers” -- Breitbart.com listed prominently among them -- are scaring Republican lawmakers away from criticizing him, a Breitbart editor said Republicans are right to fear the right-wing website, which was previously run by Trump senior counselor Stephen Bannon. This admission from Breitbart that the outlet plans to support Trump, rather than objectively cover his incoming administration, further demonstrates that the website is not editorially independent enough to warrant permanent Capitol Hill press credentials.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 10px; -webkit-margin-before: 1em; -webkit-margin-after: 1em; color: rgb(66, 66, 66); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Breitbart <a href="http://www.politico.com/blogs/on-media/2016/11/breitbart-may-need-to-reveal-structure-of-business-to-secure-capitol-hill-press-credentials-231652" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); text-decoration: none; outline: none; font-weight: 700; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">applied for</a> permanent Capitol Hill press credentials in November. <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Media Matters</em> has objected to the request, urging members of the Standing Committee of the Senate Press Gallery in an open letter to reject the request based on Breitbart’s disqualifying inability to demonstrate editorial independence from the Trump team as required by the committee's rules. Breitbart <a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/11/28/open-letter-senate-press-gallery-should-reject-breitbart-s-application-permanent-credentials/214575" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); text-decoration: none; outline: none; font-weight: 700; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">fails this standard in several ways</a>, as several former members of the committee have <a href="http://mediamatters.org/blog/2016/11/29/former-members-senate-credentialing-committee-alarmed-bannons-shady-relationship-breitbart/214625" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); text-decoration: none; outline: none; font-weight: 700; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">acknowledged</a>. In a December 21 <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Politico</em> report headlined “Trump posse browbeats Hill Republicans,” Breitbart <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/donald-trump-congress-republicans-232800" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(68, 68, 68); text-decoration: none; outline: none; font-weight: 700; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204);">further demonstrates</a> why the site must be disqualified from obtaining a permanent press pass by admitting that it will go after Trump’s Republican critics.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 10px; -webkit-margin-before: 1em; -webkit-margin-after: 1em; color: rgb(66, 66, 66); background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">From the <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Politico</em> article (emphasis added):</font></p><blockquote style="box-sizing: border-box; padding: 25px 30px 10px; margin: 20px 20px 25px; border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); background: rgb(255, 255, 255); color: rgb(68, 68, 68); box-shadow: rgb(204, 204, 204) 0px 6px 0px -4px; clear: both;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; width: 543px; -webkit-margin-before: 1em; -webkit-margin-after: 1em; margin-top: 0px !important; margin-bottom: 1em !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In early December, Rep. Bill Flores made what seemed like an obvious observation to a roomful of conservatives at a conference in Washington. Some of Donald Trump’s proposals, the Texas Republican cautioned, “are not going to line up very well with our conservative policies," though he quickly added that there was plenty the incoming president and GOP Congress could accomplish together. Little did Flores realize the hell that would soon rain down from Trump's throng of enforcers.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; width: 543px; -webkit-margin-before: 1em; -webkit-margin-after: 1em; margin-top: 0px !important; margin-bottom: 1em !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Breitbart seized on Flores' remarks a few days later, calling them proof that House Republicans planned to “isolate and block President Donald Trump’s populist campaign promises.”</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; width: 543px; -webkit-margin-before: 1em; -webkit-margin-after: 1em; margin-top: 0px !important; margin-bottom: 1em !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">[...]</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; width: 543px; -webkit-margin-before: 1em; -webkit-margin-after: 1em; margin-top: 0px !important; margin-bottom: 1em !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">It’s little wonder that Capitol Hill Republicans have papered over their not-insignificant policy differences with Trump, shying away from any statement about the president-elect that might possibly be construed as critical. They’re terrified of arousing the ire of their tempestuous new leader — or being labeled a turncoat by his army of followers.</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; width: 543px; -webkit-margin-before: 1em; -webkit-margin-after: 1em; margin-top: 0px !important; margin-bottom: 1em !important;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">It's a novel form of party message discipline that stems from Trump but doesn't necessarily require the president-elect to speak or tweet himself. Plenty of others are willing to do it for him. Since the election, numerous congressional Republicans have refused to publicly weigh in on any Trump proposal at odds with Republican orthodoxy, from his border wall to his massive infrastructure package. The most common reason, stated repeatedly but always privately: They're afraid of being attacked by Breitbart or other big-name Trump supporters. "Nobody wants to go first," said Rep. Mark Sanford (R-S.C.), who received nasty phone calls, letters and tweets after he penned an August op-ed in The New York Times, calling on Trump to release his tax returns. "People are naturally reticent to be the first out of the block for fear of Sean Hannity, for fear of Breitbart, for fear of local folks."</font></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-right: 0px; margin-left: 0px; width: 543px; -webkit-margin-before: 1em; -webkit-margin-after: 1em; margin-top: 0px !important; margin-bottom: 1em !important;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">An editor at Breitbart, formerly run by senior Trump adviser Steve Bannon, said that fear is well-founded.</font></span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; width: 543px; -webkit-margin-before: 1em; -webkit-margin-after: 1em; margin-top: 0px !important;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“If any politician in either party veers from what the voters clearly voted for in a landslide election … we stand at the ready to call them out on it and hold them accountable,” the person said.</font></span></p></blockquote><p><strong><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"></font></strong>

<strong><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">GOP tries to push use of dirtier fuel</font></strong>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">But wait! There is one expensive alternative fuel that congressional Republicans support. You see, <a href="http://grist.org/energy-policy/2011-07-27-conservatives-force-military-accept-dirty-fuels/">Section 526 of 2007′s Energy Independence and Security Act</a> prohibits the military from buying fuel that is more carbon-intensive than crude oil. Earlier this month, Rep. Bill Flores (R-Texas) <a href="http://www.bna.com/house-passes-spending-n12884909323/">offered an amendment</a> to an appropriations bill, later passed by the House, that would bar the military from enforcing Sec. 526.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Why, you ask? “Placing limits on federal agencies’ fuel choices,” says Flores, “is an unacceptable precedent to set in regard to America’s energy policy and independence.”</font>

<a href="http://grist.org/politics/republicans-try-to-force-the-military-to-use-dirty-energy-it-doesnt-want/"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">http://grist.org/politics/republicans-try-to-force-the-military-to-use-dirty-energy-it-doesnt-want/</font></a>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">no ratings?  <a href="http://thehill.com/resources/lawmaker-ratings/149995-rep-bill-flores-r-texas-17th">http://thehill.com/resources/lawmaker-ratings/149995-rep-bill-flores-r-texas-17th</a></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">funding <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00031545">http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00031545</a></font>

<h2 class="ruleAbove"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Cycle Fundraising, 2011 - 2012, Campaign Cmte</font></h2>

<table id="summaryData" class="datadisplay"><tbody><tr><td class="flatTableTitleA"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Raised:</font></td><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><img src="/b6ad7dcd-5e99-575d-b0db-f4be26861687.gif"/> $1,061,093</font></td><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="spark"><img src="/a1f3f277-97d7-525a-9208-dc53a5bb1046.gif"/> </a></font></td></tr><tr class="rowTint"><td class="flatTableTitleB"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Spent:</font></td><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><img src="/f297d9e0-cc36-5919-aded-58b9d28a41bf.gif"/> $605,183</font></td><td><span class="spark"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><img src="/3fb25f39-7a2a-5cc7-9acb-53b1fbcdb051.gif"/> $417,925</font></td><td><span class="spark"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><img src="/d0d87dfc-cee3-5001-8009-f1e85a93b8f8.gif"/> $599,957</font></td><td><span class="spark"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><img brain="false" alt="" class="crpSpark" src="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/include/drawSpark.php?a=599956.9&y=2012&c=H&m=y&t=d" /></font></span></td></tr><tr><td class="flatTableTitleA"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Last Report:</font></td><td colspan="2"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Wednesday, May 09, 2012</font></td></tr></tbody></table>

</div>

</font><h2><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Top 5 Contributors, 2011-2012, Campaign Cmte</font></h2>

</div>

<table id="topContrib" class="datadisplay"><thead><tr class="rowTint"><th><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Contributor</font></th><th><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Total</font></th><th><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Indivs</font></th><th><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">PACs</font></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Plains Exploration & Production</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$19,600</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$19,600</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$0</font></td></tr><tr class="rowTint"><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Honeywell International</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$13,134</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$0</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$13,134</font></td></tr><tr><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">PricewaterhouseCoopers</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$12,500</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$0</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$12,500</font></td></tr><tr class="rowTint"><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Chevron Corp</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$12,000</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$10,000</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$2,000</font></td></tr><tr><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Phoenix Exploration</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$12,000</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$12,000</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$0</font></td></tr></tbody></table>

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</font><h2><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Top 5 Industries, 2011-2012, Campaign Cmte</font></h2>

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<table id="topIndus" class="datadisplay"><thead><tr class="rowTint"><th><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Industry</font></th><th><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Total</font></th><th><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Indivs</font></th><th><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">PACs</font></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Oil & Gas</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$145,756</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$99,756</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$46,000</font></td></tr><tr class="rowTint"><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Retired</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$102,100</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$102,100</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$0</font></td></tr><tr><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Leadership PACs</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$32,551</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$0</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$32,551</font></td></tr><tr class="rowTint"><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Misc Manufacturing & Distributing</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$32,384</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$16,250</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$16,134</font></td></tr><tr><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Health Professionals</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$31,200</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$8,700</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$22,500</font></td></tr></tbody></table>

</div>

<table><tbody><tr class="rowTint"><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">1</font></td><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Plains Exploration & Production</font></td><td class="center"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000036719&year=2012"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><img src="/da19de72-3551-57a7-ad70-1ae70df36c72.png"/></font></a></td><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></td><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$19,600</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$19,600</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$0</font></td></tr><tr class="odd"><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">2</font></td><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000334"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Honeywell International</font></a></td><td class="center"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000000334&year=2012"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><img src="/b64acd5d-91b4-5cdd-85df-d0777b2907e5.png"/></font></a></td><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></td><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$13,134</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$0</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$13,134</font></td></tr><tr class="rowTint"><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">3</font></td><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000124"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">PricewaterhouseCoopers</font></a></td><td class="center"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000000124&year=2012"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><img src="/6b3f0887-6ae3-57a6-af7d-448d5170a979.png"/></font></a></td><td class="center"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/firmsum.php?id=D000000124&year=2012"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><img src="/e662d9f2-b902-5423-9cc6-7fad668b242e.png"/></font></a></td><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$12,500</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$0</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$12,500</font></td></tr><tr class="odd"><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">4</font></td><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000000015"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Chevron Corp</font></a></td><td class="center"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000000015&year=2012"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><img src="/70224135-8553-5b3a-9006-4a2829e75410.png"/></font></a></td><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></td><td class="center"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/include/lobbyists_pop.php?cycle=2012&id=N00031545&org=Chevron+Corp&mem=Bill+Flores&type=I" onclick="return popup(this, 'chart')"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><img src="/2893def9-7678-548a-bfb0-ca2e36209e69.png"/></font></a></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$12,000</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$10,000</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$2,000</font></td></tr><tr class="rowTint"><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">4</font></td><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Phoenix Exploration</font></td><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></td><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></td><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$12,000</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$12,000</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$0</font></td></tr><tr class="odd"><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">6</font></td><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons</font></td><td class="center"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000064468&year=2012"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><img src="/9414e28a-d664-5412-aa52-11c1a27a45c7.png"/></font></a></td><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></td><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$10,000</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$0</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$10,000</font></td></tr><tr class="rowTint"><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">6</font></td><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Energy Transfer Equity</font></td><td class="center"><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/lobby/clientsum.php?id=D000025688&year=2012"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><img src="/394ac92e-d928-5379-8e88-7322ea677730.png"/></font></a></td><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></td><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$10,000</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$10,000</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$0</font></td></tr><tr class="odd"><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">6</font></td><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00384701"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Every Republican is Crucial PAC</font></a></td><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></td><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></td><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$10,000</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$0</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$10,000</font></td></tr><tr class="rowTint"><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">6</font></td><td><a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/lookup2.php?strID=C00305805"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Freedom Project</font></a></td><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></td><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></td><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$10,000</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$0</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$10,000</font></td></tr><tr class="odd"><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">6</font></td><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Keystone Petroleum</font></td><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></td><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></td><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$10,000</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$10,000</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$0</font></td></tr><tr class="rowTint"><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">6</font></td><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">M&M Manufacturing</font></td><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></td><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></td><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$10,000</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$10,000</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$0</font></td></tr><tr class="odd"><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">12</font></td><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Perry Homes</font></td><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></td><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></td><td class="center"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$9,800</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$9,800</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"> </font></td></tr></tbody></table>

<h2 class="ruleAbove"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Career Fundraising</font></h2>

<table id="summaryData" class="datadisplay"><tbody><tr><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">1989 - 2012 Total Receipts:</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><img src="/15d94b10-5fc4-5a39-97b0-f86d639a704e.gif"/> $4,414,759</font></td></tr><tr class="rowTint"><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">1989 - 2012 Total Spent:</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><img src="/2f1a51e0-5b41-594a-af15-aa3d4831e5cc.gif"/> $3,914,930</font></td></tr><tr><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Debts:</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><img src="/d256e37b-5e3f-5e94-82a3-81dafbbad22f.gif"/> $730,871</font></td></tr><tr class="rowTint"><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Last Report:</font></td><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Wednesday, May 09, 2012</font></td></tr></tbody></table>

</div>

<h2><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Top 5 Contributors, 2010 - 2012</font></h2>

</div>

<table id="topContrib" class="datadisplay"><thead><tr><th><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Contributor</font></th><th><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Total</font></th><th><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Indivs</font></th><th><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">PACs</font></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr class="rowTint"><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Phoenix Exploration</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$31,478</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$31,478</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$0</font></td></tr><tr><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Bryan Research & Engineering</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$31,200</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$31,200</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$0</font></td></tr><tr class="rowTint"><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Energy Future Holdings Corp</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$26,654</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$13,700</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$12,954</font></td></tr><tr><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Chevron Corp</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$26,400</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$24,400</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$2,000</font></td></tr><tr class="rowTint"><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Plains Exploration & Production</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$24,400</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$24,400</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$0</font></td></tr></tbody></table>

</div>

<h2><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Top 5 Industries, 2010 - 2012</font></h2>

</div>

<table id="topIndus" class="datadisplay"><thead><tr><th><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Industry</font></th><th><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Total</font></th><th><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Indivs</font></th><th><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">PACs</font></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr class="rowTint"><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Oil & Gas</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$366,584</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$286,184</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$80,400</font></td></tr><tr><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Retired</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$272,432</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$272,432</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$0</font></td></tr><tr class="rowTint"><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Leadership PACs</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$130,451</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$0</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$130,451</font></td></tr><tr><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Lawyers/Law Firms</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$77,050</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$64,550</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$12,500</font></td></tr><tr class="rowTint"><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Health Professionals</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$67,136</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$36,136</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$31,000</font></td></tr></tbody></table>

</div>

<h2 class="ruleAbove"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a id="raised" name="raised"> </a>Total Raised vs. Average Raised</font></h2>

<h2><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a id="funds" name="funds"> </a>Cycle Source of Funds, 2011-2012, Campaign Cmte only</font></h2>

</div>

</font><table id="src_table"><tbody><tr class="rowTint"><td class="flatTableTitle"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">

<img src="/af9040bd-3221-542f-84d6-b4466508b689.gif"/></font></td><td nowrap="nowrap"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Individual Contributions <a href="http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/include/contribs_pop.php" onclick="return popup(this, 'chart')"><img src="/2b1356f0-05a3-54ac-8377-820a5996a97a.gif"/></a>

 - Small Individual Contributions

 - Large Individual Contributions</font></td><td class="number" nowrap="nowrap"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$659,742

$29,296 (3%)

$630,446 (59%)</font></td><td valign="top"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">(62%)</font></td></tr><tr><td class="flatTableTitle"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><img src="/f8a09417-2072-5b17-a4be-1380e8397799.gif"/></font></td><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">PAC Contributions</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$379,983</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">(36%)</font></td></tr><tr class="rowTint"><td class="flatTableTitle"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><img src="/a7a04e83-20db-525c-aba8-831b210481f1.gif"/></font></td><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Candidate self-financing</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$0</font></td><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">(0%)</font></td></tr><tr><td class="flatTableTitle"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><img src="/1f5345f1-300e-518a-adab-9b0ecb0070b6.gif"/></font></td><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Other</font></td><td class="number"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">$21,368</font></td><td><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">(2%)</font></td></tr></tbody></table>

</div>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b>William H. "Bill" Flores</b> (born February 25, 1954) is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives" title="United States House of Representatives">U.S. Representative</a> for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas%27s_17th_congressional_district" title="Texas's 17th congressional district">Texas's 17th congressional district</a>. The district, located in the middle of the state, includes <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waco" title="Waco" class="mw-redirect">Waco</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/College_Station" title="College Station" class="mw-redirect">College Station</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryan,Texas" title="Bryan, Texas">Bryan</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-1" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Flores#cite_note-1"><span>[</span>2<span>]</span></a></sup> He is a member of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Party%28United_States%29" title="Republican Party (United States)">Republican Party</a> and the former CEO of Phoenix Exploration Company, an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oil" title="Oil">oil</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_gas" title="Natural gas">natural gas</a> exploration company.</font></p>

<h2><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Contents</font></h2>

</div>

<ul>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Flores#Early_life_and_education"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">1</span> <span class="toctext">Early life and education</span></font></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-2"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Flores#Business_career"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">2</span> <span class="toctext">Business career</span></font></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-3"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Flores#U.S._House_of_Representatives"><span class="tocnumber">3</span> <span class="toctext">U.S. House of Representatives</span></a>

</font><ul>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-4"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Flores#2010_election"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">3.1</span> <span class="toctext">2010 election</span></font></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-5"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Flores#Tenure"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">3.2</span> <span class="toctext">Tenure</span></font></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-6"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Flores#Committee_assignments"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">3.3</span> <span class="toctext">Committee assignments</span></font></a></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-7"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Flores#Personal_life"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">4</span> <span class="toctext">Personal life</span></font></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-8"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Flores#Electoral_history"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">5</span> <span class="toctext">Electoral history</span></font></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-9"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Flores#References"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">6</span> <span class="toctext">References</span></font></a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-10"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Flores#External_links"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="tocnumber">7</span> <span class="toctext">External links</span></font></a></li>

</ul>

</td></tr></tbody></table>

<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Early_life_and_education"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Early life and education</font></span></h2>

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Flores was born in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheyenne,Wyoming" title="Cheyenne, Wyoming">Cheyenne, Wyoming</a> at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F.E.Warren_Air_Force_Base" title="F.E. Warren Air Force Base" class="mw-redirect">F.E. Warren Air Force Base</a>, where his father was serving in the military. He is the son of Ruth Ann Theresa (née Kennedy) and Joe Pete Flores. His patrilineal great-great-great-grandfather was Hispanic (the origin of his surname).<sup id="cite_ref-2" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Flores#cite_note-2"><span>[</span>3<span>]</span></a></sup> Flores grew up in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratford,_Texas" title="Stratford, Texas">Stratford, Texas</a> in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Panhandle" title="Texas Panhandle">Texas Panhandle</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-Battalion_3-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Flores#cite_note-Battalion-3"><span>[</span>4<span>]</span></a></sup> He graduated <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Latin_honors" title="Latin honors">Cum Laude</a> with a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B.B.A." title="B.B.A." class="mw-redirect">B.B.A.</a> in accounting from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_A%26M_University" title="Texas A&M University">Texas A&M University</a> in 1976.<sup id="cite_ref-HBUCollegian_4-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Flores#cite_note-HBUCollegian-4"><span>[</span>5<span>]</span></a></sup> While there, he was a member of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_A%26M_Corps_of_Cadets" title="Texas A&M Corps of Cadets" class="mw-redirect">Corps of Cadets</a>, the Ross Volunteer Company,<sup id="cite_ref-AggieAlumni_5-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Flores#cite_note-AggieAlumni-5"><span>[</span>6<span>]</span></a></sup> and Corps Staff. He also served as Student Body Vice-President of Finance during his senior year. He has been a licensed <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Certified_Public_Accountant" title="Certified Public Accountant">Certified Public Accountant</a> since 1978. He also received an <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M.B.A" title="M.B.A" class="mw-redirect">M.B.A</a> from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston_Baptist_University" title="Houston Baptist University">Houston Baptist University</a> in 1985.<sup id="cite_ref-HBUCollegian_4-1" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Flores#cite_note-HBUCollegian-4"><span>[</span>5<span>]</span></a></sup></font></p>

<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="Business_career"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Business career</font></span></h2>

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Flores served as CFO for two publicly traded energy service firms from 1990 through 1998. These companies included Marine Drilling Companies, Inc. (1990–1997) and Western Atlas Inc. (1997–1998). From 2002 to 2005, Flores was the Senior Vice President and CFO of Gryphon Exploration Company.<sup id="cite_ref-6" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Flores#cite_note-6"><span>[</span>7<span>]</span></a></sup></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">During his time with Marine Drilling he personally oversaw <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bankruptcy" title="Bankruptcy">Bankruptcy</a> filings which resulted in a 7.5 million loss to the federal government.<sup id="cite_ref-7" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Flores#cite_note-7"><span>[</span>8<span>]</span></a></sup></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In 2006, a group of five oil and gas industry executives, led by Flores as President and CEO, formed Phoenix Exploration Company with $350 million of capital commitments from a group of private equity firms. The company is engaged in oil and gas exploration along the Gulf Coast and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_of_Mexico" title="Gulf of Mexico">Gulf of Mexico</a> shelf utilizing regional <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reflection_seismology" title="Reflection seismology">3-D seismic data</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-8" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Flores#cite_note-8"><span>[</span>9<span>]</span></a></sup> Flores also served as a Director of that company from its formation until he retired in December 2009 to run for public office.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Flores is a former Commissioner of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Real_Estate_Commission" title="Texas Real Estate Commission">Texas Real Estate Commission</a>,<sup id="cite_ref-9" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Flores#cite_note-9"><span>[</span>10<span>]</span></a></sup> and a past Director and former Chairman of the Board of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Association_of_Former_Students" title="The Association of Former Students">Association of Former Students of Texas A&M University</a>. He has also served on boards of Phoenix Exploration Company, Marine Drilling Companies, Inc.,<sup id="cite_ref-10" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Flores#cite_note-10"><span>[</span>11<span>]</span></a></sup> FreeBirds, Inc., and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PARC_%28company%29" title="PARC (company)">The PARC, Inc</a>, and The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alley_Theater" title="Alley Theater" class="mw-redirect">Alley Theater</a> of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston" title="Houston">Houston</a>.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">He currently serves on the Board of the Private Enterprise Research Center of Texas A&M University and as a member of the Board of Trustees of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston_Baptist_University" title="Houston Baptist University">Houston Baptist University</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-HBUCollegian_4-2" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Flores#cite_note-HBUCollegian-4"><span>[</span>5<span>]</span></a></sup></font></p>

<h2><span class="mw-headline" id="U.S._House_of_Representatives"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">U.S. House of Representatives</font></span></h2>

<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="2010_election"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">2010 election</font></span></h3>

<div class="rellink boilerplate seealso"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">See also: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_Texas,_2010#District_17.2A" title="United States House of Representatives elections in Texas, 2010">United States House of Representatives elections in Texas, 2010#District 17*</a></font></div>

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In late 2009 Flores entered the Republican primary for the 17th District, held by 10-term Democratic incumbent <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chet_Edwards" title="Chet Edwards">Chet Edwards</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-blogs.chron.com_11-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Flores#cite_note-blogs.chron.com-11"><span>[</span>12<span>]</span></a></sup> Flores stated that his worries about the future of "the American dream" inspired him to run for Congress.<sup id="cite_ref-HBUCollegian_4-3" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Flores#cite_note-HBUCollegian-4"><span>[</span>5<span>]</span></a></sup> Flores committed half a million dollars of his own money for the campaign.<sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Flores#cite_note-12"><span>[</span>13<span>]</span></a></sup></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">In the Republican primary runoff on April 13, he had defeated Rob Curnock<sup id="cite_ref-13" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Flores#cite_note-13"><span>[</span>14<span>]</span></a></sup> by a 64-36 percent margin.<sup id="cite_ref-14" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Flores#cite_note-14"><span>[</span>15<span>]</span></a></sup> The size of his primary victory was a surprise to many political observers because Curnock was the 2008 nominee and he held Edwards' 2008 vote total close to 50 percent, despite being heavily outspent.<sup id="cite_ref-15" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Flores#cite_note-15"><span>[</span>16<span>]</span></a></sup> During the Republican primary, Flores received the endorsement of former Republican U.S. Senator <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phil_Gramm" title="Phil Gramm">Phil Gramm</a><sup id="cite_ref-16" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Flores#cite_note-16"><span>[</span>17<span>]</span></a></sup> After the primary win, Flores was also endorsed by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_H.W._Bush" title="George H.W. Bush" class="mw-redirect">George H.W. Bush</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_McCain" title="John McCain">John McCain</a>,<sup id="cite_ref-TinsleyFST_17-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Flores#cite_note-TinsleyFST-17"><span>[</span>18<span>]</span></a></sup> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitt_Romney" title="Mitt Romney">Mitt Romney</a>, and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Huckabee" title="Mike Huckabee">Mike Huckabee</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-HBUCollegian_4-4" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Flores#cite_note-HBUCollegian-4"><span>[</span>5<span>]</span></a></sup></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Through October 13, 2010, had spent $2.644 million overall.<sup id="cite_ref-18" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Flores#cite_note-18"><span>[</span>19<span>]</span></a></sup></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">On November 2, 2010, Flores trounced Edwards with 62 percent of the vote.<sup id="cite_ref-TXSOS10_19-0" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Flores#cite_note-TXSOS10-19"><span>[</span>20<span>]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-20" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Flores#cite_note-20"><span>[</span>21<span>]</span></a></sup><sup id="cite_ref-21" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Flores#cite_note-21"><span>[</span>22<span>]</span></a></sup> This was the largest margin of defeat for a Democratic incumbent in the 2010 cycle.</font></p>

<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Tenure"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Tenure</font></span></h3>

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Upon his swearing-in, Flores became the first Republican to represent Waco in Congress since <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconstruction_era_of_the_United_States" title="Reconstruction era of the United States" class="mw-redirect">Reconstruction</a>. A staunch conservative, Flores supports limited government and lower taxes; an end to the spending of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Recovery_and_Reinvestment_Act" title="American Recovery and Reinvestment Act" class="mw-redirect">American Recovery and Reinvestment Act</a>; making the Bush-era tax cuts permanent; <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pro-life" title="Pro-life" class="mw-redirect">pro-life</a> abortion positions; and stronger enforcement at the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico_%E2%80%93_United_States_border" title="Mexico – United States border" class="mw-redirect">U.S. Mexico border</a>.<sup id="cite_ref-22" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Flores#cite_note-22"><span>[</span>23<span>]</span></a></sup> Flores supports the building of new nuclear power plants to assist the U.S. in becoming energy self-sufficient. He also supports incentives for the development of solar and wind power.<sup id="cite_ref-23" class="reference"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Flores#cite_note-23"><span>[</span>24<span>]</span></a></sup> He is a member of the Conservative <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republican_Study_Committee" title="Republican Study Committee">Republican Study Committee</a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_Hispanic_Conference" title="Congressional Hispanic Conference">Congressional Hispanic Conference</a>.</font></p>

<h3><span class="mw-headline" id="Committee_assignments"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Committee assignments</font></span></h3>

<ul>

<li><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_the_Budget" title="United States House Committee on the Budget"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Committee on the Budget</font></a></b></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Natural_Resources" title="United States House Committee on Natural Resources">Committee on Natural Resources</a></b>

</font><ul>

<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Natural_Resources_Subcommittee_on_Energy_and_Mineral_Resources" title="United States House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources</font></a></li>

<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Natural_Resources_Subcommittee_on_Fisheries,Wildlife,Oceans_and_Insular_Affairs" title="United States House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs</font></a></li>

</ul>

</li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Veterans%27_Affairs" title="United States House Committee on Veterans' Affairs">Committee on Veterans' Affairs</a></b>

</font><ul>

<li><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Veterans%27_Affairs_Subcommittee_on_Oversight_and_Investigations" title="United States House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations</font></a></li>

</ul>

</li>

</ul>

<h1 class="entry-title"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Rep. Bill Flores denounces administration ocean policy and its ‘ocean czar’</font></h1>

<div class="entry-meta"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="meta-prep meta-prep-author">Posted on</span> <a href="http://blog.mysanantonio.com/texas-on-the-potomac/2012/04/rep-bill-flores-denounces-administration-ocean-policy-and-its-%e2%80%98ocean-czar%e2%80%99/" title="10:44 am" rel="bookmark"><span class="entry-date">04/20/2012</span></a> <span class="meta-sep">by</span> <span class="author vcard"><a class="url fn n" href="http://blog.mysanantonio.com/texas-on-the-potomac/author/sharanyashankar/" title="View all posts by Sharanya Shankar">Sharanya Shankar</a></span></font></div>

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Texas Rep. Bill Flores thinks that the Obama administration’s new National Ocean Policy should be deep sixed.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Speaking on <span>“Fox and Friends,” the first-term Republican congressman from Bryan, said that the executive order was unnecessary and unwanted.</span></font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span> </span>“They’re essentially trying to [protect the oceans] from here in Washington with unelected, unaccountable — and now with the GSA activities — irresponsible bureaucrats,” Flores said.</font>

<span><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">President Obama’s National Ocean Policy holds federal agencies responsible for protecting the oceans, coasts and the Great Lakes. Its goal: to “improve the health of oceans, coasts, and Great Lakes, which support tens of millions of jobs” and contribute greatly to the “national economy” and are “essential to the public health and national security.”</font></span>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Steve Doocy, and Brian Kilmeade co-anchors of FOX News Channel’s “FOX & Friends” interviewed Flores and asked him his views on President Obama’s appointment of “an ocean czar?”</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“Congress talked about this for eight years in the past — not in this Congress, but prior congresses– and Congress elected to do nothing,” Flores said.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">As a member of the House National Resources Committee, Flores said his biggest apprehension about the legislation is “the breadth of the ruling.” He says the administration “wants to control activities in the oceans and all the sources thereof, which means that…[the government] can regulate activities of what my neighbor can do at their house.”</font>

<em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Watch Rep. Flores’ interview here:</font></em></p>

</div>

<h1 class="entry-title"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Rep. Bill Flores: DC bureaucrats blocking domestic energy production</font></h1>

<div class="entry-meta"><font size="4" face="Times New Roman"><span class="meta-prep meta-prep-author">Posted on</span> <a href="http://blog.mysanantonio.com/texas-on-the-potomac/2012/05/rep-bill-flores-dc-bureaucrats-blocking-domestic-energy-production/" title="1:03 pm" rel="bookmark"><span class="entry-date">05/03/2012</span></a> <span class="meta-sep">by</span> <span class="author vcard"><a class="url fn n" href="http://blog.mysanantonio.com/texas-on-the-potomac/author/jenniferdlouhy/" title="View all posts by Jennifer A. Dlouhy">Jennifer A. Dlouhy</a></span></font></div>

<p><em><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">For the latest from the Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, check out our sister site, <a href="http://fuelfix.com">FuelFix</a>.</font></em>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">Washington bureaucrats are standing in the way of domestic energy production that could help revive the flagging U.S. economy, freshman Texas congressman Bill Flores told the Offshore Technology Conference Wednesday.</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“In order to have a healthy economy, America has to have” abundant and affordable energy supplies, said Flores, a Republican from Bryan. But “the administration doesn’t get it.”</font>

<font size="4" face="Times New Roman">The U.S. has tremendous oil and gas reserves that cold lead it to energy security, but too few policymakers see them as assets, Flores added, echoing a common theme among industry leaders and their GOP allies.</font></p>

</div>

<p><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">“Washington continues to find ways to restrict or lock up or regulate these assets away from the American people,” said Flores, a first-term lawmaker who spent years at Phoenix Exploration Co. He used his breakfast presentation to delivery a laundry list of what is wrong with Washington when it comes to energy policy:</font></p>

<ul>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">He delivered jabs at the Environmental Protection Agency for a “runaway regulatory stream (that) is inflicting further harm on America’s manufacturing base.”</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">He complained about the time it takes the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement to process drilling permit applications.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">He criticized the Obama administration’s decision to reject a cross-border permit for the Keystone XL pipeline that would carry Canadian oil sands crude to Gulf Coast refineries.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">He said “tree huggers” were unfairly profiting from lawsuits on listing animals as endangered and protected species, by taking advantage of the Endangered Species Act’s citizen lawsuit provisions to get compensation for legal fees.</font></li>

<li><font size="4" face="Times New Roman">He said more than a dozen federal agencies are studying hydraulic fracturing, and said the studies are inevitable precursors to regulation.</font></li>

</ul>

</div>