[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 107 (Thursday, June 26, 2008)]
[House]
[Page H6091]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                NO NEED TO OPEN NEW AREAS AND NEW LEASES

  (Mr. DeFAZIO asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute.)
  Mr. DeFAZIO. We are going to hear a lot today about the need for new 
leases. There is no need to open new areas and new leases. Here is 
Alaska. The former Naval Petroleum Reserve leased by Bill Clinton, 
authorized by the Republican Congress, has more than 10 billion barrels 
of oil under it. It is known to exist. The oil industry has the leases; 
they have drilled 25 wells; they have capped them. They have no plans 
to connect it to the existing pipeline and bring that oil here to 
consumers.
  But they are saying, no, we want to go over here, we want more leases 
over here in ANWR. We don't even know if there is any oil under ANWR. 
How about they deal with the known 10 billion barrels here and provide 
us some relief at the pump? Then we can talk about other places they 
might want to go in the future.

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