[Congressional Record Volume 150, Number 69 (Monday, May 17, 2004)]
[House]
[Page H3055]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         OFF-SHORE OIL DRILLING

  (Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California. Mr. Speaker, I think most people 
recognize that California often leads the Nation in its efforts to 
protect the environment. It also leads the Nation as the most efficient 
user of energy.
  There are few issues more unifying than the importance of protecting 
our coasts from the impacts of offshore oil drilling.
  Time and again, local, State and Federal officials in both parties 
have supported a moratorium on offshore oil drilling. Yet, despite the 
campaign rhetoric claiming to oppose offshore drilling, this 
administration has attempted every backdoor route to weaken coastal 
protections. All we have to do is look at the energy bill and find 
numerous provisions supported by the administration that paved the way 
to drilling off the coast of California.
  In fact, just this month Aera, a subsidiary of Shell/ExxonMobil, 
indicated it is moving forward with its intentions to develop several 
leases off the coast of Santa Barbara that are not subject to the 
drilling moratorium.
  The President stepped in in the same situation in Florida and bought 
out those leases, Florida, a State where his brother is Governor, but 
he will not do this in California.
  Further, the administration, through the energy bill, has repeatedly 
tried to weaken the State of California's ability to regulate the 
activities at the State level that might impact our coasts.

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