Drill Responsibly in Leased Lands Act of 2008
DRILL RESPONSIBLY IN LEASED LANDS ACT OF 2008 -- (House of Representatives - July 17, 2008)
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Mr. PEARCE. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to this misguided, misdirected legislation. After seeing this bill defeated just 2 weeks ago, I quite honestly am surprised that we are back for one more attempt at it. It is really heartwarming to find my colleague from West Virginia, the chairman of my committee, saying ``drill America now.''
The only thing is I am wondering why the chairman did not allow us to have amendments that would allow us to drill now. If he would allow us the amendments that would stop the litigation that is stopping us from drilling now, maybe we could work through some of those 68 million acres, if he would allow us to have amendments which would stop the regulatory process that is delaying unnecessarily and is of no benefit to the American consumer, maybe we could drill now. But I find the chairman's comments just hard to believe.
In the context of the discussion today, I would invite the chairman to sign on to a letter with me. The letter is from myself and several other Members asking just in one area, one area where we find bureaucratic delays, 7 years in Utah, the BLM has not issued the resource management plans that are required in order to develop just that.
If the chairman of the committee is intent on drill, drill, drill, as he says today, let him just put his one signature beside mine, and we will send it to Nancy Pelosi and send it to the President of the United States from Nancy Pelosi and us in the House and the Members of the Senate.
One place where we have some of that 68 million acres, 1 million of the 68 million acres, and let's just work one block at a time to figure out exactly what the roadblocks are because I believe, I believe in my heart that the majority does not want to drill today.
I believe that they understand that it is not the oil companies who lack the diligence, but it is instead roadblocks by people who have hijacked the energy policy of this country.
In my section of the debate we will talk about the reason the 68 million acres lie unused, and it will go from regulatory process to litigation. It will go into the problems of seismic that are being blocked up along the northern end of this country. We will talk about the delays one step at a time.
But let's talk just a little bit about the bill before us today. It is several sections.
The first section I want to talk about directs the sale of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, the NPR-A. Now that is curious that the Democrats 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 of the 2,000 acres of ANWR, and yet today they are saying that they are going to open up 23 million acres to environmental degradation. There is not one bit of infrastructure. There are no roads. There are no drilling pads. There are no pipelines. They are hundreds of miles away from where they need to be for the market. Yet with ANWR, with a 74-mile pipeline, it is sincerely believed that we could get production down to the continental United States within a year.
The Trans-Alaska Pipeline, 800 miles long, took 3 years to have it built and full of oil because this Congress, at that point in time, realized that they could make a difference and they did make a difference by saying that this pipeline is not going to be delayed by litigation.
If the gentleman from West Virginia says drill and drill now, 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 NPR-A 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 of delaying mechanisms from people who contribute money to them.
I was interested in the last debate to find that oil companies contribute money to Republicans and therefore there is some scheme. When I look at the bill in front of us today, I see groups, I see an alliance with groups that contribute a lot of money to Democrats. I see over $670 million in the last several years from trial lawyers. There is new language in this bill which will be litigated probably for decades.
I see a section in this bill, section 5, that requires project labor agreements, 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 that satisfy environmental 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 we should look at the bill. Section 2 requires again the direction that any leases be environmentally responsible. That is new language.
Sections 3 and 4 deal with pipeline requirements that companies tell me that they have to currently comply with already, so it appears to be a duplication.
The project labor agreements are brand new. These are things where private companies are directed that they will, before they can work on any private project, have labor agreements in place.
Then we have a ban that is reinstated on exporting Alaskan oil. Keep in mind that it was Democrat President Bill Clinton that opened up the Alaskan oil to be exported. So again, we find now the flip-flop in that position on their part. The ban was originally in place, and President Clinton decided he would relieve that ban. And now we find it being put back in place.
The issuance of new leases, use it or lose it, frankly is already in place in law. There is language that currently states that 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 are doing something when we are actually not, or it is even worse than that. I believe that we have no purpose for this bill. I believe that this bill is not going to increase the amount of domestic energy one bit. I think that what it is going to do is to start anew, it is going to start new processes and are going to delay even by months the process in place for the NPR-A.
So while it is telling us we are going to drill now and drill in the NPR-A, actually it is doing the exact opposite. It is instituting new rules that will have to go through a completely new process.
Mr. Speaker, I look forward to the debate.
CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES,
Washington, DC, July 17, 2008.
Hon. NANCY PELOSI,
Speaker, House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Hon. STENY HOYER,
Majority Leader, House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Hon. JOHN BOEHNER,
Minority Leader, House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Hon. ROY BLUNT,
Minority Whip, House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
DEAR MADAM SPEAKER, MINORITY LEADER BOEHNER, MAJORITY LEADER HOYER, AND MINORITY WHIP BLUNT: In the last month, through various legislative proposals and public comments, Majority leaders in Congress have accused oil and gas companies of refusing to drill. We think many times idle acres are caused by factors beyond these companies' control. In many cases, Congress and the bureaucracy create roadblocks that shut down companies' access to the lands.
Your rhetoric over the last few months leads us to believe we have finally reached a consensus in Congress. In order to start drilling on idle acres where regulatory burdens exist, we request Congressional leaders act now to remove these obstacles on a case by case basis. We also request that you join us in sending a joint letter to the President urging him to issue an Executive Order systematically removing barriers on a case by case basis from lands under development that, due to regulatory burdens, remain blocked from development.
We suggest starting with the permanent delays and lawsuits preventing drilling in Utah. Please join us in sending a letter to the President asking that he open drilling in Utah by issuing the final Records of Decision (RODs) on this state's Resource Management Plans (RMPs)--Vernal, Price, Moab, Richfield, and Monticello--which authorize oil and gas activities in Utah. These plans were to have been underway for over 7 years. In our letter we will ask the President to order the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to issue the RMPs by August 31, 2008.
Additionally, we ask you insist that the RODs authorize the Preferred Alternatives in each RMP without the adoption of new Wilderness Characteristics Areas (WCAs). Removing bureaucratic roadblocks to these 955,000 idle acres will ensure that development starts immediately. This would enable the oil and gas industry to effectively tap into over 5.2 Tcf of natural gas and 334 million barrels of oil. This energy would heat 72.9 million homes and power 24.5 million cars.
Clearing the regulatory roadblocks in Utah is one simple step to lower the price of energy for the American people. It is only by acting in a bipartisan manner that we can move our nation out of this national energy crisis. We have prepared a letter and await your approval. Additionally, we stand ready to assist you in bringing legislation before the House of Representatives that will eliminate the roadblocks to energy development in America.
In coming together to encourage the President to take steps and reduce the regulatory burden on companies developing resources, we will show the American people that the Federal government is serious about lowering the price of gasoline. If we support the President as he removes regulatory roadblocks, we will see increased development on the acres sitting idle and lower energy prices.
Sincerely,
Stevan Pearce,
Member of Congress.
Rob Bishop,
Member of Congress.
Chris Cannon,
Member of Congress.
--
CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES,
Washington, DC, July 17, 2008.
Hon. GEORGE W. BUSH,
President, the White House,
Washington, DC.
DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: Congress has reached a consensus on opening idle lands to energy exploration and production. As we look en mass at these idle acres, we begin to see a pattern emerge. We believe companies producing on acres that remain idle are facing factors beyond their control. In many cases, Congress and the bureaucracy create roadblocks that shut down companies' access to the lands.
We ask that you look at each case individually and on a case by case basis for the purpose of systematically removing the regulatory roadblocks these companies' face on idle acres. We believe you should begin with one simple case in Utah. For seven years, Utah has waited for the final Records of Decision (RODs) on their state's Resource Management Plans (RMPs) at Vernal, Price, Moab, Richfield, and Monticello that authorize oil and gas activities in Utah.
We believe you should issue an Executive Order to require the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to issue the RMPs by August 31, 2008. Additionally, we ask that you order BLM to ensure the RODs authorize the Preferred Alternatives in each RMP without the adoption of new Wilderness Characteristics Areas (WCAs). Removing bureaucratic roadblocks to these 955,000 idle acres will ensure that development starts immediately. This would enable the oil and gas industry to effectively tap into over 5.2 Tcf of natural gas and 334 million barrels of oil. This energy would heat 72.9 million homes and power 24.5 million cars.
Clearing the regulatory roadblocks in Utah is one simple step to lower the price of energy for the American people. It is only by acting in a bipartisan manner that we can move our nation out of this national energy crisis. Additionally, we stand ready to assist you in bringing legislation before the House of Representatives that will eliminate the roadblocks to energy development in America.
Sincerely,
Stevan Pearce,
Member of Congress.
Rob Bishop,
Member of Congress.
Chris Cannon,
Member of Congress.
I reserve the balance of my time.
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