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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today Congresswoman Capps spoke out against a proposal to strip the bipartisan Congressional moratorium against new offshore drilling in sensitive coastal and marine areas. Rep. Poe’s (R-TX) amendment to the Fiscal year 2007 Interior-Environment Appropriations bill would reverse the long standing Congressional moratorium that has protected coastal areas from new oil drilling on the West Coast, the entire East Coast, and the Eastern Gulf of Mexico for 25 years
“Whether it’s drilling for oil or drilling for gas, new drilling off our coasts is a bad idea,” said Capps. “For 25 years the Congress has been united in supporting the bipartisan moratorium that protects our priceless coastal and marine areas from new offshore drilling. This ban on offshore drilling has always enjoyed strong support from the public who recognize how valuable our coasts are both economically and environmentally. Simply put, the Poe amendment is bad policy and reflects the misguided attempt to try and drill our way to energy independence. Instead of continuing to waste our time pursuing a failed energy policy that relies solely on drilling, we need to use improve energy efficiency standards, develop renewable and alternative energy, and use the one resource which we do have in abundance – our creativity.”
A vote on Rep. Poe’s amendment is expected later this afternoon.
A copy of the Congresswoman’s Floor Speech follows:
Congresswoman Lois Capps
Statement Opposing Poe Amendment
Interior and Environment Appropriations Bill
Mr. Chairman, I rise in strong opposition to the Poe amendment.
It eliminates the longstanding, bipartisan moratorium that currently protects the nation’s most sensitive coastal and marine areas from new oil drilling.
This is simply another version of the Peterson amendment offered at committee.
That amendment allows so-called “gas only” drilling on the OCS, even though drilling for gas means drilling for oil.
The Poe amendment before us makes it clear that the intent is to drill for oil and gas, something the Peterson amendment is trying to hide.
The House should reject this amendment.
It means drilling within 3 miles of the beaches of Florida, California, Georgia and other coastal states.
It means drilling where there isn’t a whole lot of oil and where tens of millions of our citizens have made it clear that they don’t want any more drilling.
According to MMS, the vast majority of oil and natural gas is located in areas now currently open to drilling.
And the Poe amendment means gutting the Congressional moratoria that have been in place for 25 years, and reaffirmed by Presidents George H.W. Bush, Clinton, and George W. Bush, and every Congress since 1982.
The House has voted three times in recent years to stop new drilling in the waters off Florida, California and the entire OCS.
And state officials have also endorsed the moratoria – including Republican Governors Jeb Bush and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
These actions have all been met with widespread acclaim by a public that knows how valuable – environmentally and economically – our coastlines are.
The Poe amendment is bad policy and reflects the misguided attempt to try and drill our way out of energy problems.
With 3 percent of the world’s resources and 25 percent of the world’s demand, it’s pretty obvious we can’t just drill our way to energy security.
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