[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 30 (Thursday, March 7, 1996)]
[House]
[Page H1778]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               THE 5-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF PERSIAN GULF WAR

  (Mr. COBURN asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. COBURN. Mr. Speaker, 5 years ago this month, this country put the 
lives of thousands of young Americans at risk in the Persian Gulf war. 
The war with Iraq was fought to restore Kuwait's independence, but it 
was also fought to preserve and protect the energy security of this 
country.
  Five years later, we are still dependent on foreign oil for our 
energy needs--in fact far more dependent than we were 5 years ago.
  Last year, for the first time in our Nation's history, we imported 
more than 50 percent of the oil consumed in this country. Meanwhile, I 
have domestic producers in my home State of Oklahoma who are capping 
marginal wells every day--burying oil and gas that will never again be 
recovered. It is putting Americans out of work and it is threatening 
our national security.

  What can this Congress do to revive our domestic oil and gas 
industry? The first step is to allow domestic producers to compete on a 
level playing field. In a few days, we will be voting on this floor on 
a bill to reform the regulatory process in this country. Excessive 
regulations have strangled domestic oil and gas producers, raising 
their cost of production and diminishing their chances to compete. A 
vote for regulatory reform is a vote for the health of our domestic oil 
and gas industry.
  I urge this Congress to release the domestic oil and gas industry 
from the excessive taxes and regulations that threaten our domestic 
energy supply and our national security.

                          ____________________