[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 12 (Monday, January 26, 2015)]
[House]
[Page H555]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                ANWR DESIGNATION IS AN ENERGY MORATORIUM

  (Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania asked and was given permission to 
address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. THOMPSON of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to address an 
area of great concern. The Obama administration has just announced 
their intention to designate more than 12 million acres of the Arctic 
National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska as wilderness.
  Now, this move would place a de facto moratorium on oil and gas 
production on the largest onshore, unexplored, and potentially 
productive areas in the United States.
  While this area only represents about 8 percent of the total size of 
ANWR, the Energy Information Administration suggests a great potential 
for the recovery of oil and gas based upon nearby plays in Canada.
  Mr. Speaker, the President often touts America's move towards greater 
energy independence. The irony is that most of that, much of this 
production has occurred on private lands and by private hands. Placing 
new prohibitions on Federal lands is simply doublespeak.
  Thomas Edison once said, and I quote, ``Seeming to do is not doing.''
  Mr. Speaker, while we may not be focused on energy prices at the 
moment, planning for the future is as prudent as it is wise. I 
encourage the administration to think about our future. The American 
people deserve as much.

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