[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 188 (Thursday, November 16, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S7280]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                          Energy Independence

  Mr. President, let me turn to another topic that I think is very 
important right now; that is, our energy independence. It is a huge 
issue. People are not aware, while we may have talked about the 
importance of the budget reconciliation process to set up and to pass 
the historic and much needed tax cuts for our individuals and small 
businesses, the process also allowed the Senate to use reconciliation 
for something equally as valuable--to allow energy exploration in 
Alaska.
  Yesterday the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee met to 
consider legislation to open up a very small part of the Arctic 
National Wildlife Refuge for responsible energy development. This bill 
was successfully passed by the committee, and I look forward to helping 
it continue to move through Congress.
  I have long been an advocate for this to happen. It is interesting, 
the people in Alaska all want it. The polling is something like 96 
percent of the people really want this to happen. They know the 
benefits that will come to Alaska, the money that will be there. People 
talk about the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge as if it is this great 
big thing. It is the size of South Carolina. It is a very small thing. 
Right now, we are going to be able to go up there to create jobs and 
opportunities and authorize the leases in Alaska. We will also increase 
revenue to the United States.
  It is estimated that the energy production in Alaska could lead to 
over $1 trillion in revenue. Responsible management will have a 
positive impact on reducing our national debt and most significantly 
opening ANWR is allowing Alaska to do what they want to do.
  We are so good in this body thinking that we know more about what is 
good for Alaska and what is good for Oklahoma and what is good for 
Georgia than they do in their own States. One of few things we do right 
around this place is how we do our highway bill. In the highway bill, 
we get the priorities from the States when they come in, and they 
decide what it is they want to do in their States.
  Remember the issue about the ``bridge to nowhere.'' Everybody was 
concerned about this. All the talk shows jumped on it without 
realizing, until it was too late, it had already gotten committed.
  Here was something that happened right for a change. I was chairman 
of the committee at that time. The ``bridge to nowhere'' in Alaska 
didn't go ``nowhere,'' it went somewhere. The problem was, there 
weren't any people there once you got there, and the reason is you 
couldn't get there. On their list of 100 priorities, No. 4 was to build 
that bridge, but we, in our infinite wisdom here, said: No, you can't 
do that. Somehow the public didn't know what they were talking about. 
Well, that is kind of the same situation we have right now. We have 
something in Alaska that was their No. 1 priority to develop, and for 
years and years we have stopped them from being able to do with their 
land what they wanted to do with their land. The Federal Government has 
been keeping Alaskans from acting in their own best interest.
  Finally, increasing energy production in Alaska is a key part of 
making the United States not only energy independent but energy 
dominant. We are on the verge of doing just that. Earlier this week, 
the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, Fatih Birol, 
said the United States ``will become the undisputed global oil and gas 
leader for decades to come'' and that ``the growth in production is 
unprecedented, exceeding all historical levels.'' ANWR could be and 
should be a part of that story.
  Energy independence is vital to our national security. How many of 
these countries over there that have been part of the old Soviet Union 
want their allegiance to us, and yet they are forced to buy their oil 
and gas from Russia and from Iran and they don't want to do it. Now we 
are taking them off the hook.
  I had a great experience not long ago. I was invited by the President 
of Lithuania to come and open up their first terminal. Now we are 
changing all that.
  We have a guy named Harold Hamm, an Oklahoman who is the chairman and 
CEO of Continental Resources in Oklahoma. He announced they would begin 
exporting oil to China. Exporting to China is kind of a big deal. He 
talks about how we are going to become undeniably a leader in exporting 
energy that will have an impact on the rest of the world.
  President Trump has been clear that he intends to make the United 
States a net energy exporter, something we haven't been since 1953. 
Opening up the National Wildlife Refuge, which just took place this 
last week, will be a big step toward this initiative, and I applaud the 
Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee for helping the 
administration make this happen.