[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 2 (Thursday, January 4, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Pages S36-S37]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                 Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing Proposal

  Mr. President, what I am about to speak about speaks to better jobs 
and better wages for working Americans, for those middle-class 
families.
  This afternoon, the U.S. Department of the Interior released the 
Trump administration's draft proposed program for offshore oil and gas 
leasing. This proposal would mean more affordable energy made right 
here in the United States of America. That is good news for American 
workers and families. I commend President Trump and Interior Secretary 
Zinke for their commitment to supporting American workers and making 
America energy dominant.
  For decades, past administrations have handcuffed American energy 
manufacturers by restricting offshore leases to the western and central 
Gulf of Mexico. You could only drill there, not elsewhere. Past plans 
left 90 percent of U.S. offshore resources off limits to energy 
producers and in the process said no to thousands of good-paying 
American jobs and billions of dollars in offshore investments--when I 
say ``offshore,'' I mean off the American shore

[[Page S37]]

but creating jobs here in the United States of America.
  The Trump administration's proposal rejects the status quo and puts 
American workers and families first. It would open areas with 
significant oil and gas potential--areas off the coast of Alaska and 
the Atlantic and Pacific and portions of the eastern Gulf of Mexico.
  What are the ramifications of this? According to one study, opening 
the eastern Gulf of Mexico would create nearly 230,000 new American 
jobs by 2035. It would bring roughly $115 billion of investment to the 
United States. Federal, State, and local governments would collect an 
additional $70 billion in tax revenue by 2035, not because rates are 
going up--rates have now gone down--but, rather, people are making more 
money, and because they are making more money at lower rates, Federal, 
State, and local tax receipts continue to increase. American energy 
production would be boosted by about 1 million barrels of oil, making 
our country more secure.
  Let's take a look at the State-by-State job increases from these 
lease sales. Florida gets the biggest gain of all--87,000 new jobs by 
2035. Texas would add 62,000. My home State of Louisiana would add 
31,000 new jobs. Alabama would add 21,000; Mississippi, 12,000; and the 
rest of United States, 15,000 new jobs.
  I know some of my colleagues across the aisle, including my 
Democratic colleague from Florida, have expressed concerns about this 
energy production plan's impact on fishing and military training in the 
Gulf of Mexico. Let's remember that oil and gas manufacturers have 
coexisted with other activities for decades. I share my colleagues' 
interest in protecting our communities, businesses, and the 
environment. The reality is that these goals are not mutually 
exclusive, especially on the gulf coast.
  Let me use Louisiana as an example. According to NOAA, Louisiana has 
4 of the 10 top ports in the country by volume and value of seafood 
landed. In 2016, two Louisiana ports alone received 670 million pounds 
of seafood landed in the gulf. This is in addition to the oil and gas 
production off of our coast. Together with Texas, our two States 
accounted for half of U.S. shrimp landings.
  NOAA also reports that roughly half of the jobs in commercial and 
recreational fishing in the gulf exist in States where there is also 
oil and gas production. Recreationally, gulf anglers accounted for 33 
percent of fishing trips, which equals 39 percent of the total U.S. 
catch.
  Of course, more than 85 percent of recreational landings were in 
inland estuaries or State territorial waters. Most of the oil and gas 
activity we are discussing today is in deeper, Federal waters many 
miles away.
  Again, the gulf coast is a working coast, and it has been proven over 
the decades that multiple industries can successfully coexist.
  When my colleague from Florida brought up his concerns about 
potential conflicts with the Department of Defense operations in the 
Gulf of Mexico, I took that very seriously. Ensuring that our military 
is equipped to train and test is vitally important. However, it is 
simply not true that the eastern Gulf of Mexico must be completely free 
of energy production in order for the military to conduct operations. 
Our military's own testing data from the last 5 years makes that very 
clear. This map shows all the Department of Defense testing done in the 
last 5 years in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. The Department of Defense 
used only 19 percent of the eastern Gulf of Mexico during the last 5 
years. To put it differently, 81 percent of the gulf went untouched.
  When you look even more closely at the space regularly used by our 
military, it becomes clear that this objection to energy production in 
the eastern gulf does not pass the smell test.
  This is the Panhandle of Florida. Right here is the State of Alabama. 
For those who are interested in it, the Florida-Alabama bar is right 
there, and this is where folks from Louisiana love to go and enjoy 
themselves.
  This is, if you will, zoomed in on the last map and shows the spaces 
the military used for more than 14 days during that 5-year period. So 
over 5 years, these are the spaces it used for more than 14 days--not 
per year but over the 5 years. Only 0.5 percent of the eastern Gulf of 
Mexico was used by the Department of Defense for more than 14 days over 
the last 5 years--0.5 percent. That means that the Department of 
Defense regularly uses only 1 out of every 200 acres in the gulf.
  I have met with both the Interior Department and the Defense 
Department and urged them to work together to ensure the best use of 
Federal waters. This data shows that it can be done.
  I am confident that, under the Trump administration's proposal, we 
can provide thousands of Americans with good-paying jobs, boost our 
energy manufacturing and security, strengthen our economy, and do it in 
a way that is environmentally responsible and protects our communities.
  I applaud today's announcements because it will make a true 
difference for our country and for the American people, the American 
worker who has not done well over the last 8 years but under this 
administration has begun to do well, and this is the next step in 
making sure that his and her future is as bright as it ever could be.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Cornyn). The Senator from Utah.
  Mr. LEE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senator from 
Texas, Mr. Cornyn, be recognized at the conclusion of my remarks.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.