House Proceeding on Jul 17th, 2008 :: 3:24:09 to 3:44:09
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3:19:47 to 3:31:50( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Nick J. Rahall

3:23:48 to 3:24:10( Edit History Discussion )

better to drill than in the national petroleum reserve? that's why it was set aside, the national petroleum reserve. my colleagues, the national petroleum reserve, situated on the north slope of

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alaska, this reserve is no pipe dream like anwr, way over here, which is a bumper sticker approach of our energy woes. the national petroleum reserve is open for leasing. it has been, it will be.

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Nick J. Rahall: 23 million acres, the national petroleum reserve, opened for leasing, opened for business now, today. 23 million acres containing an estimated 6.6 billion barrels of recoverable oil. more than

3:24:49 to 3:25:09( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: over here in anwr. not even open for leasing at this point in time. a pipe dream over here in anwr. for far more than anwr, the national petroleumeserve, as i've said, has much more recoverable

3:25:09 to 3:25:27( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: oil than anwr. and if fully opened -- i'm sorry, if anwwere fully open, we still would be 20 years before we could have any oil in production, and the energy information estimates show that

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Nick J. Rahall: only effect on the price at the pump would be 1.8 cents 20 years from now. as oboesed to that, we have the national petroleum reserve set aside for drilling. in alaska, 35 trillion cubic feet of

3:25:38 to 3:25:53( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: natural gas has been stranded. think about that. 35 trillion cubic feet of natural gas stranded over in the national petroleum reserve because there is no pipeline available to bring it to

3:25:53 to 3:26:17( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: market. over here being the major pipelines, the pipeline for oil only, i might add. elsewhere there is 68 million acres onshore and offshore in the outer continental shelf, in the lower 48 under

3:26:17 to 3:26:34( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: oil and gas leases that is not -- that is leased. i say here today, drill, drill, drill, drill here in america, drill now, let's drill. the drill act, drill responsibly in leased lands

3:26:34 to 3:26:58( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: act would unleash the vast potential of the national petroleum reserve by requiring annual and federal oil and gas lease sales and by facilitating the construction of pipelines to connect the

3:26:58 to 3:27:14( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: npra that would bring it down to the lower 48. that includes prudhoe bay, connecting it here over to prudhoe bay, the transportation and transalaskan pipeline. there is already existing an oil pipeline.

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Nick J. Rahall: it makes the construction of the alaskan natural gas pipeline a priority so that stranded gas, that stranded gas in the national petroleum reserve can be transported to the lower 48. it requires

3:27:30 to 3:27:41( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: project labor agreements to be entered into for the construction of these pipelines so they can be good paying american jobs. it requires that the npra pipeline that's right here five-mile

3:27:41 to 3:27:57( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: segment connecting it to the existing oil and gas leasing being done in the prudhoe bay area, that they be maintained and operated in an efficient manner, to ensure an uninterrupted flow of gas,

3:27:57 to 3:28:12( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: and the drill act reinstitutes the ban on export of alaskan oil to other countries so that this alaskan oil, american oil can be used by americans for their relief. it's a commonsense

3:28:12 to 3:28:26( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: approach to our near energy -- near-term energy woes. we know very clearly we must transition ourselves from oil dependency. we must wean ourselves from oil addiction. alternative fuels, coal

3:28:26 to 3:28:40( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: to liquids, carbon squestation, renewables, all of the above should be on the table as the only way to secure ameri's energy independence from foreign crude. but in the near term, in the

3:28:40 to 3:28:55( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: near term we need to drill. we're saying in this bill today, drill, drill, drill it now, drill it here, drill it where the oil is and where it is already available, not wait 20 years from

3:28:55 to 3:29:07( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: now, as the president proposes, to lift some moratorium on o.c.s. and up here in anwr that i've already said won't affect any near-term relief at the pumps for the american consumers. so let me reserve

3:29:07 to 3:29:20( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: that there are those who display a fundamental misunderstanding of parts of this legislation. we do, of course, incorporate the use it or lose it that's already passed by a majority in this

3:29:20 to 3:29:30( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: body that requires the diligent development of federal oil and gas leasesuring their primary term, which is normally 10 years. what that means is that during that period, we're requesting

3:29:30 to 3:29:45( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: that the oil companies do something with these leases to explore it for energy. if a discovery is made and we hope that it will be, apply for the permit. i understand drilling. i think most

3:29:45 to 3:29:59( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: of my colleagues know i'm from the state of west virginia, by golly. the great state of west virginia. we know something about energy woes in that state. we are not a nimby state by any stretch

3:29:59 to 3:30:11( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: of the imagination. we do not shirk our responsibility for look for the nation's energy. we have mining, we have drilling, i understand that complications can take place while trying to develop a

3:30:11 to 3:30:23( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: lease. environmental challenges, bureaucratic delays, but this constitutes due diligence this constitutes the development of a lease. this constitutes moving toward meeting our energy woes.

3:30:23 to 3:30:38( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: diligent development does not mean the lease is producing, i understand that. it means that a company is doing something with the lease to determine whether it can be brought into production

3:30:38 to 3:30:50( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: or not. that is a good thing. that is diligent development. i understand it's a lengthy process. but i'm saying to mr. big oil, please do something on these leases do something. if you have

3:30:50 to 3:31:05( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: to go out and buy a black and decker drill to try to drill, move forward, do that. vote for this legislation. a vote for this legislation will mean we are trying to bring energy immediately

3:31:05 to 3:31:24( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: to the american people, that we are voting for good, american-paying jobs and that we are voting to prevent american energy being exported to foreign markets. as i conclude, again, i say drill,

3:31:24 to 3:31:39( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: drill, drill, drill here, drill now, drill so we can meet our energy demands, supply side here with american resources and i reserve the balance of my time. the speaker pro tempore: the

3:31:39 to 3:31:50( Edit History Discussion )

Nick J. Rahall: gentleman from new mexico. >> thank you, mr. speaker, i yield myself such time as i may consume. mr. chairman, i rise in opposition to this misguided, misdirected legislation. after seeing this bill

3:31:50 to 3:32:02( Edit History Discussion )

Stevan Pearce: defeated two weeks ago, i'm surprised we're back for one more attempt at it. it is really heart warming to find my colleague from west virginia, the chairman of my committee, who is saying,

3:31:50 to 3:38:57( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Stevan Pearce

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Stevan Pearce: drill america now. i'm wondering why the chairman didn't allow us to have amendments to allow us to drill now if he would allow us amendments that is stopping us from drilling now, maybe we

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Stevan Pearce: could work through some of those 68 million acres if he would allow us to have amendments that would stop the regulatory process and no benefit to the american consumer. maybe we could drill

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Stevan Pearce: now but i find the gentleman's comments hard to believe. i think in the context of the discussion today that i would invite the chairman to sign on a letter to me and i request unanimous consent

3:32:42 to 3:32:54( Edit History Discussion )

Stevan Pearce: to insert that letter into the record for today and ask the gentleman to join with me. the speaker pro tempore: without objection. mr. pearce: it's a letter from myself asking in just one area,

3:32:54 to 3:33:09( Edit History Discussion )

Stevan Pearce: one area where we find bureaucratic delays, seven years in utah the b.l.m. has in the issued the resource management plans required to develop just that. if the chairman of the committee is intent

3:33:09 to 3:33:21( Edit History Discussion )

Stevan Pearce: on drill, drill, drill, as he says today, let him just put his one signature beside mine and we'll send to it nancy pelosi, we'll send it to the president of the united states from us in

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Stevan Pearce: the house and the members of the senate, saying just drill today in utah once place we are one million of the 68 million acres and let's just work one block at time to figure out exactly what

3:33:33 to 3:33:47( Edit History Discussion )

Stevan Pearce: the roadblocks are. because i believe, ielieve in my heart, that the majority does not want to drill today. i believe that they are understanding that it is not the lack, it is not the oil

3:33:47 to 3:33:59( Edit History Discussion )

Stevan Pearce: companies who lack the diligence, but it is instead roadblocks by people who have high jacked the energy policy of this country. in my section of the debate, we're going touk talk about the

3:33:59 to 3:34:12( Edit History Discussion )

Stevan Pearce: reason the 68 million acres lie unused, it's going to go from regulatory process to litigation. it's going into the problems of seismic being blocked up along the northern end of this

3:34:12 to 3:34:23( Edit History Discussion )

Stevan Pearce: country. we're going to talk about one step at a time the delays. but let's talk just a bit about the bill that is before us today. it is several chapters. the first one directs the sale of the

3:34:23 to 3:34:36( Edit History Discussion )

Stevan Pearce: npra. that's curious that we do not, that the democrat on the floor of the house today do not want to open up anwr, 2,000 acres. they have been concerned about the environmental degradation

3:34:36 to 3:34:51( Edit History Discussion )

Stevan Pearce: of the 2,000 acres of anwr, and yet today they're saying they're going to open up 23 million achers to environmental degradation. there's not one bit of infrastructure. there are no roads, no

3:34:51 to 3:35:01( Edit History Discussion )

Stevan Pearce: drilling paths no pipelines, they are hundreds of miles away from where they need to be with the market yet with anwr work a 74-mile pipeline, it is sincerely believed we could get production

3:35:01 to 3:35:13( Edit History Discussion )

Stevan Pearce: down to the continental united states within a year. the trans-alaska pipeline, 00 miles long, took three years to have it built and full of oil because this congress at this point in time realized

3:35:13 to 3:35:24( Edit History Discussion )

Stevan Pearce: they could make a difference and they did make a difference bay saying that this pipeline is not going to be delayed by litigation. if the gentleman from west virginia says, drill and drill now,

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Stevan Pearce: then let him make the equal commitment that we will not allow our production to be delayed by litigation which is going to come from every sort of environmental group, either in the npra

3:35:37 to 3:35:50( Edit History Discussion )

Stevan Pearce: or anwr or the outer continental shelf. it is really difficult to believe that the majority is sincere when they say drill today and on the other side of the spectrum we see all sorts

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Stevan Pearce: of delaying mechanisms from people who contribute money to them. i was interested in the last debate to find that the oil companies contribute money to republicans and therefore there is some scheme.

3:36:01 to 3:36:12( Edit History Discussion )

Stevan Pearce: when i look at the bill in front of us today, i see groups that, i see an alliance with groups that contribute a lot of money to democrat, i see over $670 million in the last several years

3:36:12 to 3:36:27( Edit History Discussion )

Stevan Pearce: from trial lawyers. there's no language in this bill which is going to be litigated probably for decades. i see a section in this bill, section five, that requires project labor agreements

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Stevan Pearce: and i see that the unions have given to the democrats over $1 billion and then i find the continuing language which says that there are going to be protections in place to satisfy environmental

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Stevan Pearce: groups and again, environmental groups have invested over $1 billion in democrat candidates. so when i hear from the other side their observations about the special interests, i think that we should

3:36:53 to 3:37:04( Edit History Discussion )

Stevan Pearce: look at this bill, section 2 requires, again, the direction that any leases be environmentally responsible. that is new language. section three and four deal with pipeline requirements that currently

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Stevan Pearce: companies tell me that they have to comply with this already, so it appears to be a duplication. the project labor agreements are brand now. -- brand new. this is where private companies

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Stevan Pearce: are directed before they can work on any private project have labor agreements in place. then we have a ban reinstated on exporting alaska oil. keep in mind, democrat president bill clinton put

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Stevan Pearce: -- that opened up the alaska oil to be shipped across the -- and exported. so again we find the flip-flop in that position on their part. the ban was originally in place until president clinton

3:37:46 to 3:37:57( Edit History Discussion )

Stevan Pearce: decided to relieve that ban and now we find it being put back in place. the issueance of new leases, use it or lose it, frankly is already in place in law. there is language that currently

3:37:57 to 3:38:11( Edit History Discussion )

Stevan Pearce: states if you do not use a lease, you lose it. so either this bill is simply to try to convince the american people that we're doing something when we're actually not, or it's even worse than

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Stevan Pearce: that. i believe that we have no purposes for this bill, i believe that this bill is not going increase the amount of domestic energy one bit. thing what it's going to do is start a new, it's going

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Stevan Pearce: to start new processes and going to delay even by months the process in place right now for the npra. so while it's telling us we're going to drill now and drill in the npra, actually it's

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Stevan Pearce: doing the opposite. it's instituting new rules that have to go completely through a new process. mr. chairman, i reserve the balance of my time but look forward to the debate. the speaker

3:38:44 to 3:38:57( Edit History Discussion )

Stevan Pearce: pro tempore: the gentleman reserves. the gentleman from west virginia. mr. rahall: i'm shocked that the gentleman from new mexico would even start down the road of campaign contributions

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Peter A. DeFazio: in this debate, but i'm not going to proceed any further down that road. i'll yield two minutes to the distinguished gentleman from oregon, a member of our committee on natural resources,

3:38:57 to 3:41:46( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Peter A. DeFazio

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Peter A. DeFazio: mr. defazio. you can respond on your own time. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman is recognized for two minutes. mr. defazio: i thank the yet for yielding. 1923, president harding took

3:39:26 to 3:39:39( Edit History Discussion )

Peter A. DeFazio: the saudi arabia of the united states and put it into the naval petroleum reserve. there's a huge pool of known oil, over 10 billion barrels, underneath what has now been called, the republicans

3:39:39 to 3:39:50( Edit History Discussion )

Peter A. DeFazio: changed it from the naval petroleum reserve to the national petroleum reserve area and yes, indeed, bill clinton did let the first leases in that more than a decade ago. the companies have drilled

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Peter A. DeFazio: 25 test wells to find out there is indeed oil under there. but they have not connected over here to the prudhoe bay pipeline and there is no construction going on and no active drilling

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Peter A. DeFazio: going on. this area that they want to argue about in 1950, was made into a wildlife preserve. this was made a naval petroleum reserve because it has huge amounts of known oil. this was made

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Peter A. DeFazio: a wildlife preserve because it has huge amounts of known wildlife. president harding didn't make this into the naval reserve because no one knows if there's oil under there. they try to pretend that

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Peter A. DeFazio: there's oil under there, but the bush administration's own administration says there's a 50% chance of recoverable oil under the alaska national wildlife reserve system of why not drill

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Peter A. DeFazio: here? why don't the republicans and the oil companies want to fully exploit these 10 billion barrels of oil? i think there's a pretty simple answer to that. because they're doing really

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Peter A. DeFazio: well under the bush-cheney energy policy. remember, written in secret, voted on and put into law by the republican congress, signed by george bush, in george bush's tenure they can profits

3:41:04 to 3:41:17( Edit History Discussion )

Peter A. DeFazio: of the oil companies have been $511 billion, a new record, every year george bush has been in office, more money in seven years than in the preceding quarter century this system is

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Peter A. DeFazio: working quite well for them. they don't want to increase supply. in fact, they are working hand in glove with opec and others co-lewding to restrict supply. drill responsibly in leased lands,

3:41:30 to 3:41:46( Edit History Discussion )

Peter A. DeFazio: exploit america's resources. the speaker pro tempore: the gentleman from new mexico. mr. pearce: thank you, plmp. i recognize -- i yield to mr. barton two minutes to speak. the speaker pro tempore: the

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Joe Barton: gentleman from texas is recognized for two minutes. mr. barton: thank you, mr. speaker. i ask unanimous consent to revise and extend my remarks. the speaker pro tempore: without objection.

3:41:46 to 3:44:09( Edit History Discussion )
Speech By: Joe Barton

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Joe Barton: mr. barton: thank you. mr. speaker, i rise in opposition to h.r. 6515, the bill was introduced yesterday, it's on the floor today. that's pretty fast work. no hearings no committee process, it's

3:42:15 to 3:42:26( Edit History Discussion )

Joe Barton: primarily a restatement of existing federal law with a couple of exceptions. it does have a prohibition of any oil that's found in alaska going anywhere but the lower 48. chairman rahall

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Joe Barton: and i had a little debate about that on the house floor earlier this week and i don't have any opposition to that. it's somewhat meaningless because oil is fungible and can go wherever it needs

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Joe Barton: to go but if that's the price we have to pay to get oil -- more oil drilled and produced in alaska, i'm for that section of the bill. having said that, this bill is counterproductive if we

3:42:50 to 3:43:04( Edit History Discussion )

Joe Barton: really want to find new oil and gas because it doesn't open up new areas. if you only allow drilling where we've already been allowed to drill, for example in the great state of texas

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Joe Barton: that i represent, we have delilled're two million oil wells since 1901. the probability of finding a major new oil field in texas today is much closer to zero than to 100% because we've lr

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Joe Barton: drilled so many wells. 85% of the outer continental shelf of the united states of america is offlimits. this bill does nothing about that. it says, let's expedite leasing in the alaska naval

3:43:34 to 3:43:53( Edit History Discussion )

Joe Barton: petroleum reserve. fine, but we can already drill for oil in the alaska naval petroleum reserve. what about anwr? anpr is to the west of prudhoe bay. anwr is to the east. we think there's

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Joe Barton: 10 billion barrels of oil in a 2,000 acre section of anwr, 10 billion barrels. drl 10 wells, get a billion bare barrels a well. if we drill in an expedited basis in anpr, there's oil to be found,

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John Hall: but we can already drill there and we went goat a billion barrels per well. i urge a no vonet this legislation. mr. rahall: i yield two minutes to the gentleman from new york, mr. hall, who

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Speech By: John Hall