[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 19 (Wednesday, February 6, 2008)]
[Senate]
[Page S741]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. SALAZAR:
  S. 2602. A bill to amend the Department of the Interior, Environment, 
and Related Agencies appropriations Act, 2008, to terminate the 
authority of the Secretary of the Treasury to deduct amounts from 
certain States; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
  Mr. SALAZAR. Mr. President, I rise today to introduce legislation--a 
companion bill will be introduced in the House by my colleagues 
Representatives Salazar and Udall--to restore Colorado's share of oil 
and gas leasing revenue.
  The 2008 Omnibus Appropriations bill includes a provision, requested 
by the Bush Administration, to reduce the share of mineral royalties 
paid to Colorado and other western states. Specifically, the 
administration's proposal to reduce the State's share of mineral 
revenues from 50 percent to 48 percent does not serve the taxpayers who 
fund the government nor does it serve the states that allow energy 
production to happen within their borders. Colorado is blessed with an 
abundance of natural resources, including its deposits of oil and 
natural gas. Our State's economy benefits from the production of these 
resources, and we deserve to continue receiving our fair share of the 
revenues.
  The administration attempts to justify this reduction as necessary to 
defray the administrative costs related to the management of onshore 
leasing activity. We believe this assertion is unfounded and oppose any 
attempt to take money that is rightfully owed to our State in order to 
pay for more Federal bureaucracy. This is money that our state could 
use to help mitigate the effects of increased oil and gas drilling 
activity and for other important state priorities, such as education 
and health care.
  Our legislation repeals the administration's money grab and restores 
each State's share to its full, coequal 50 percent of mineral leasing 
revenues. We cannot allow the Federal government to take oil and gas 
leasing revenues intended to help the communities of Colorado. This 
language was inserted late into last year's omnibus spending bill and 
must be corrected. Our legislation does just that.




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