(Washington, DC) - U.S. Rep. Sander Levin (D-Royal Oak) today made the following Floor statement in opposition to H.R. 5429, legislation by Representative Pombo to allow oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. 

Rep. Levin's remarks are below:

Mr.Chairman, 

No one should be fooled by the inventive title of the legislation pending before the House today.  The sponsor of this measure calls his bill the "American-Made Energy and Good Jobs Act."  A better title would be the "Big Oil Give-Away and Accountability Evasion Act."

The plain truth is that what we have here is an old proposal dressed up with a fancy, new title.  Since 1995, Congress has voted again and again on the question of whether or not to open up the Arctic Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling.  Just last December, the Alaska Delegation tried to force drilling in ANWR through the Congress by attaching it in the dead of night to a must-pass defense bill.  The Senate refused, and so here we are today debating yet another bill to turn the Arctic Refuge over to the oil companies. 

Drilling in ANWR will not bring down gasoline prices-not today and not tomorrow.  No one knows how much economically recoverable oil lies underneath the Refuge.  We do know that even if the Refuge were opened to oil exploration tomorrow, it would take nearly a decade for any Arctic Refuge oil to reach the market.  Even if the estimates of economically recoverable oil in ANWR panned out, oil from ANWR would account for only about 3 percent of domestic oil use in 2025. 

Of the many actions we could be voting on today to help consumers at the pump, it speaks volumes that opening up the Refuge to oil drilling is the first choice of the Leadership of the House. 

For the last six years, the Majority leadership and the President have set the energy policy for the United States.  The Bush Administration unveiled its energy plan in 2001.  Although over 95 percent of the recommendations in that plan have been implemented, our nation still confronts sky-high gas prices, growing dependence on foreign sources of energy, and record profits for the oil industry.  In 2005, the six largest oil companies reported $110 billion in profits.  These profits will likely set a new record this year.  The Majority's philosophy is that what's good for Exxon-Mobile is good for American consumers, but we have learned that this is not the case. 

So essentially what the House Leadership is offering the country is more of the same.  If they were serious about dealing with energy, the Majority would schedule a debate and a vote on H.R. 4479, the Energy Consumer Relief Act, which would roll back billions of dollars in tax breaks, royalty holidays and subsidies to oil and gas companies and make that funding available to bring down home heating costs through the LIHEAP program, as well as provide relief from high energy costs to farmers and small businesses. 

Yesterday, Representative Visclosky sought to offer a far-sighted amendment to the Energy and Water bill to provide $750 million to move the United States towards energy independence.  This amendment would have made important investments in alternative energy, including ethanol and biofuels; renewable energy research and development, and energy efficiency.  Yet, the Majority blocked the House from even considering this proposal.

I realize that the House will likely repeat its previous votes on this issue today, but I strongly encourage the House to take more meaningful action to deal with our country's energy problems soon. 
    

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