FLOOR STATEMENT: Statement Opposing the GOP Drilling Bill

Wednesday, 25 July 2012 16:57

Congressional Record Statement

Congressman Pete Stark

July 25, 2012


Statement Opposing the GOP Drilling Bill

MR. STARK: Mr. Speaker, I rise in opposition to HR 6082, the so-called “Congressional Replacement of President Obama’s Energy-Restricting and Job-Limiting Offshore Drilling Plan.” This bill opens up nearly every last piece of our public lands to drilling, giving even more to Big Oil. The bill would require oil and gas leasing off the East Coast, from Maine to South Carolina, off of Southern California and in the important fishery of Bristol Bay off Alaska. It opens up California’s coastline to oil and gas companies as early as 2013. If this bill were to become law, areas that have previously been deemed off limits to oil development by state governments would be put up for lease.

This bill also fails to secure safety reforms for offshore drilling, nor does it ensure that oil companies are paying their fair share to drill on public lands. The California Coastline is an international treasure and is one of the primary drivers of our state's economy. We must protect our coastlines and the vital ecosystems they embody. We cannot place it at risk of an oil spill or give it away to reckless, profit-seeking oil companies. We cannot and will not drill our way to energy independence. Continuing to make our cars more efficient, investing in clean and renewable energy, ending subsidies and tax breaks for the fossil fuel industry, and putting a price on carbon emissions is how we can obtain a secure and sustainable energy future.

I urge my colleagues to oppose this senseless and harmful legislation by joining me in voting no.