[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 64 (Monday, May 22, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E920]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




     DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, ENVIRONMENT, AND RELATED AGENCIES 
                        APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2007

                                 ______
                                 

                               speech of

                        HON. DENNIS J. KUCINICH

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 18, 2006

       The House in Committee of the Whole House on the State of 
     the Union had under consideration the bill (H.R. 5386) making 
     appropriations for the Department of the Interior, 
     environment, and related agencies for the fiscal year ending 
     September 30, 2007, and for other purposes:

  Mr. KUCINICH. Mr. Chairman, I submitted the attached statement, in 
support of the Putnam-Capps Amendment to ban drilling for natural gas 
on the Outer Continental Shelf on May 18, 2006.

  Floor Statement in Support of the OCS Drilling Ban Amendment to the 
             FY2007 Interior Appropriations Bill, H.R. 5386

       I rise in strong support of this amendment to preserve the 
     popular and longstanding ban on drilling off our coasts. 
     First, let's be clear that there is no such thing as drilling 
     for gas only. Even the Administration and the energy industry 
     have dismissed the idea as unworkable. So this is nothing 
     more than a fig leaf.
       But it's a fig leaf that will bring toxic contamination to 
     our marine environment merely three miles off our coasts. And 
     it could open the door to drilling in the Great Lakes, which 
     is also opposed by Great Lakes residents.
       We cannot forget that new drilling will have no effect on 
     energy prices for years. In contrast, we have technologies to 
     reduce our addiction to oil and natural gas that are ready to 
     go today. The problem is that we're subsidizing unsustainable 
     energy production like drilling for natural gas and oil while 
     failing to fund real renewable solutions. I urge my 
     colleagues to vote for the amendment.

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