[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 112 (Wednesday, July 9, 2008)]
[House]
[Page H6237]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 BIG OIL DOESN'T NEED MORE LAND TO DRILL--THEY SHOULD USE IT OR LOSE IT

  (Ms. WATSON asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, Americans continue to suffer pain at the gas 
pump due to 7 years of missed opportunities and outdated policies. 
President Bush's energy strategy was literally written by the oil 
companies--give more public resources to the same oil companies that 
are raking in record profits while Americans are reeling from record 
prices.
  Every day we hear House Republicans demanding the need for more 
domestic drilling in order to reduce gas prices. What we don't hear is 
anyone on that side of the aisle demanding that Big Oil drill on the 68 
million acres of land they are sitting on, refusing to develop.
  Legislation on the floor today will force those oil companies to 
produce oil and gas or diligently develop the 68 million acres of 
public land they already have, otherwise they will lose the leases. 
Experts estimate that these reserves could produce an additional 4.8 
million barrels of oil.

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