[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 130 (Friday, August 1, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1696-E1697]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                 INTRODUCTION OF THE VIRGINIA OCS BILL

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. BOB GOODLATTE

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, August 1, 2008

  Mr. GOODLATTE. Madam Speaker, each week, folks across Virginia and 
the Nation are confronted with the rising cost of energy, from the cost 
at the pump to soaring electric bills. Energy is vital to every sector 
of our economy, including homes, small businesses and industries. When 
energy supplies are tight, families and businesses are severely 
impacted by the resulting increase in energy costs.
  While the majority has succeeded in strangling any efforts to tap 
into traditional energy resources in America, our Nation's citizens 
have suffered. They have suffered with skyrocketing gas and food 
prices, and they have suffered from the fear that we are ever dependent 
on foreign, and sometimes hostile, sources of oil.
  While the leadership of the majority in Congress can't seem to get 
its act together to solve this problem for the Nation, as a 
representative of the people of Virginia, I cannot stand by and simply 
watch this spectacle. The time for action is now.
  Virginians understand that a major component in lessening energy 
costs is to produce more energy. In fact the topic of energy production 
on Virginia's Outer Continental Shelf, OCS, has received serious 
discussion by the Virginia General Assembly. I believe that Virginia 
should have every tool available to access its energy supplies. 
Unfortunately, a congressional moratorium on exploration of the

[[Page E1697]]

OCS prevents the Commonwealth from having every tool available to 
address rising energy costs.
  Therefore, I rise to introduce legislation to allow Virginia to 
request oil and natural gas exploration activities off its coast. 
Should these exploration activities prove fruitful, then the 
legislation would allow Virginia to petition for drilling for these 
precious resources. This bill does not mandate that Virginia explore or 
drill off its coast. It simply removes the Federal Government's 
longstanding barriers to these activities. The final decision of 
whether to explore or drill is placed squarely where it should be--in 
the hands of the people of Virginia, through their State legislature 
and Governor.
  This legislation is not a cure all, and it does not fix the problem 
all across the country. However, Virginia's two Senators, one from each 
political party, have introduced similar legislation over in the 
Senate, and this is promising. In order to demonstrate how broad the 
support is for allowing States to decide this issue for themselves, I 
would encourage Members from all States to introduce similar 
legislation until a threshold of support is achieved that breaks the 
Democrat leadership's logjam on this issue and allows the will of the 
American people to be heard.

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