[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Con. Res. 136 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
H. CON. RES. 136

Expressing the sense of the Congress that the moratoria on new oil and 
     natural gas leasing activity on submerged lands of the Outer 
                Continental Shelf should be maintained.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 16, 2001

 Mrs. Capps (for herself, Mr. Thompson of California, Mr. Scarborough, 
Mr. Boehlert, Mr. Farr of California, Mr. George Miller of California, 
Ms. Lee, Mr. Pallone, Mr. Lantos, Mrs. Davis of California, Ms. Hooley 
 of Oregon, Ms. Roybal-Allard, Mr. Honda, Mrs. Napolitano, Mr. Stark, 
Ms. Woolsey, Mr. Filner, Ms. Solis, Mr. Sherman, Ms. Pelosi, Ms. Eshoo, 
Mr. Davis of Florida, Mr. Blumenauer, Mrs. Tauscher, Mrs. Thurman, Mr. 
Waxman, Ms. Harman, Mr. Matsui, Mr. Berman, Mr. Frank, Ms. Lofgren, Mr. 
  Wexler, Ms. Waters, Ms. Millender-McDonald, Mr. Allen, Mr. Wu, Ms. 
Brown of Florida, Mr. McDermott, Mr. Horn, Mr. Hastings of Florida, Mr. 
  Kennedy of Rhode Island, Mr. DeFazio, Mr. Deutsch, Mr. Schiff, Mr. 
Becerra, Mr. Gilchrest, Mr. Smith of Washington, Mr. Delahunt, and Mr. 
 Abercrombie) submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was 
                 referred to the Committee on Resources

_______________________________________________________________________

                         CONCURRENT RESOLUTION


 
Expressing the sense of the Congress that the moratoria on new oil and 
     natural gas leasing activity on submerged lands of the Outer 
                Continental Shelf should be maintained.

Whereas during the last 8 years, the Federal Government has operated robust oil, 
        gas, and coal leasing offshore and onshore programs that matched, or 
        exceeded, production levels during the administration of former 
        President Reagan, and during the administration of former President 
        Bush;
Whereas offshore, the United States has leased and currently manages more than 
        44,000,000 acres of Outer Continental Shelf lands;
Whereas proposals to provide more access to currently protected Federal lands 
        for development by the oil, gas, and coal industries ignore how much 
        land is already available for that purpose;
Whereas it is not necessary to drill in sensitive areas to meet America's energy 
        needs;
Whereas since 1982 there has been in effect a statutory moratorium on new 
        leasing, pre-leasing, and related activities on submerged lands of the 
        Outer Continental Shelf;
Whereas in 1990 former President Bush utilized his authority to place areas of 
        the Outer Continental Shelf in the areas of northern, central and 
        southern California; the North Atlantic; Washington and Orego; and parts 
        of the eastern Gulf of Mexico off limits to new leasing through 2000;
Whereas in 1998 President Clinton extended the Bush limitation through June 
        2012;
Whereas citizens of California, Florida, and other Outer Continental Shelf 
        moratoria States are overwhelmingly opposed to new oil drilling off 
        their coastlines and are concerned about plans to open the Florida Gulf 
        Coast to new leasing;
Whereas a majority of Americans are growing increasingly concerned about the 
        environment and believe that protecting it should take precedence over 
        economic development;
Whereas the American people have made a decision to protect the Nation's 
        coastlines from oil development, because they know there are far better 
        alternatives; and
Whereas there are many other worthy options before the Congress that could 
        increase energy independence and reduce reliance on foreign oil, such as 
        reauthorization of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, incentives to 
        improve energy efficiency, research into renewable energy and 
        alternative fuels, fully funding energy conservation and efficiency 
        programs, including solar and renewables, weatherization, and other 
        initiatives: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), 
That it is the sense of the Congress that the existing moratorium on 
new oil and natural gas leasing, pre-leasing, and related activities on 
submerged lands of the Outer Continental Shelf should be maintained.
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