Congressman Charles Bass

February 16, 2012

WASHINGTON – Congressman Charles F. Bass (NH-02) issued the following statement this evening after the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3408, the Protecting Investment in Oil Shale, the Next Generation of Environmental, Energy, and Resource Security (PIONEERS) Act. The legislation would partially fund the transportation reauthorization bill by opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and other areas to exploration and drilling.

Bass said:

"While I support finding solutions to increase our domestic energy supply and achieve energy security in our nation, opening protected, unique, and pristine environmental areas like the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge is the wrong way to do it. I support domestic energy production as well as the development of alternative sources of energy, but it should be done in a safe, environmentally-responsible manner. As I've said before, opening ANWR to drilling as a means to pay for the transportation bill is neither reasonable nor realistic."

Last week, Bass spearheaded a letter, signed by five of his Republican colleagues, to House Leadership urging them to remove the ANWR funding provisions from the transportation reauthorization bill.

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