[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 204 (Thursday, December 3, 2020)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7212-S7213]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS

  The following petitions and memorials were laid before the Senate and 
were referred or ordered to lie on the table as indicated:

       POM-261. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Louisiana urging the United States Congress 
     and the Louisiana Congressional delegation to take such 
     actions as are necessary to defeat passage of the ``Ocean-
     Based Climate Solutions Act of 2020'' and to protect future 
     opportunities for oil and gas exploration on the Outer 
     Continental Shelf; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation.

                   House Concurrent Resolution No. 38

       Whereas, Raul M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Chairman of the United 
     States House Committee on Natural Resources has unveiled 
     legislation entitled the ``Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act 
     of 2020'' with the intent to include ocean impacts of climate 
     change in the discussions of methods to address climate 
     change mitigation; and
       Whereas, in an effort to restore coastal ecosystems, 
     strengthen marine mammal conservation, reduce carbon 
     emissions from shipping vessels, improve international ocean 
     governance, and pursue other ocean-related solutions to the 
     climate change crisis, the legislation seeks to end the 
     federal offshore oil-leasing program; and
       Whereas, although these pursuits sound laudable, it is 
     important to remember that the Louisiana oil and gas industry 
     supports nearly two hundred and fifty thousand jobs inside 
     the state of Louisiana and more in adjoining states, it 
     accounts for fourteen percent of the state's tax revenue, and 
     supplies $73 billion of the state's gross domestic product; 
     and
       Whereas, an analysis has found that such a proposal, if 
     enacted, would cause the loss of nearly one million jobs 
     nationwide in the first twelve to twenty-four months, forty-
     eight thousand of which are located here in Louisiana; and
       Whereas, this proposal would significantly reduce our 
     domestic energy production, making our nation more dependent 
     on less reliable, less safe foreign sources for energy 
     produced under weaker environmental standards and a higher 
     carbon footprint; and
       Whereas, with energy demand expected to continue to rise 
     until at least 2040, Louisiana currently produces nearly 
     twenty percent of our nation's energy, refines approximately 
     forty-five percent of the total United States petroleum, and 
     processes fifty-one percent of the nation's natural gas; and
       Whereas, while meeting this demand year after year, 
     Louisiana energy producers are at the forefront of carbon 
     emissions reduction technology development like carbon 
     capture and storage that can capture ninety percent of carbon 
     emissions from fossil fuels; and
       Whereas, in addition, the offshore oil and gas industry in 
     the United States operates under some of the most stringent 
     environmental rules in the world and its infrastructure also 
     supports some of the most abundant fish habitat providing 
     fishing opportunities that have made Louisiana the 
     ``Sportsman's Paradise''; and
       Whereas, protecting leasing and production in the Outer 
     Continental Shelf will help combat climate change by helping 
     our state combat coastal land loss and sustain oil and gas 
     operations in the Gulf of Mexico critical to energy 
     innovations needed to reduce carbon emissions; and
       Whereas, Louisiana and its local economies, especially 
     communities reliant on energy development and production, 
     have felt an outsized impact from the COVID-19 pandemic and 
     are expected to face a slower recovery than many other states 
     because of our large service sector employment; and
       Whereas, Louisiana already faces major budget shortfalls 
     that will impact schools, emergency services, and other 
     essential services; and
       Whereas, under the provisions of the Gulf of Mexico 
     Security Act, in 2019 alone energy production on the Outer 
     Continental Shelf generated over $155 million to the state of 
     Louisiana used for coastal restoration and hurricane 
     preparedness; and
       Whereas, ensuring access to available leasing acreage on 
     the Outer Continental Shelf will protect offshore energy 
     production as an essential part of our state's budget when 
     our state and local governments need it the most; therefore 
     be it
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     memorialize the Louisiana Congressional Delegation and the 
     United States Congress to take such actions as are necessary 
     to defeat passage of the ``Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act 
     of 2020'' and to protect future opportunities for oil and gas 
     exploration on the Outer Continental Shelf; and be it further
       Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to 
     the presiding officers of the Senate and the House of 
     Representatives of the Congress of the United States of 
     America and to each member of the Louisiana Congressional 
     Delegation.
                                  ____


       POM-262. A concurrent resolution adopted by the Legislature 
     of the State of Louisiana urging the United States Congress 
     and the Louisiana Congressional delegation to take such 
     actions as are necessary to defeat passage of the ``Ocean-
     Based Climate Solutions Act of 2020'' and to protect future 
     opportunities for oil and gas exploration on the Outer 
     Continental Shelf; to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation.

                   House Concurrent Resolution No. 38

       Whereas, Raul M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.), Chairman of the United 
     States House Committee on Natural Resources has unveiled 
     legislation entitled the ``Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act 
     of 2020'' with the intent to include ocean impacts of climate 
     change in the discussions of methods to address climate 
     change mitigation; and
       Whereas, in an effort to restore coastal ecosystems, 
     strengthen marine mammal conservation, reduce carbon 
     emissions from shipping vessels, improve international ocean 
     governance, and pursue other ocean-related solutions to the 
     climate change crisis, the legislation seeks to end the 
     federal offshore oil-leasing program; and
       Whereas, although these pursuits sound laudable, it is 
     important to remember that the Louisiana oil and gas industry 
     supports nearly two hundred and fifty thousand jobs inside 
     the state of Louisiana and more in adjoining states, it 
     accounts for fourteen percent of the state's tax revenue, and 
     supplies $73 billion of the state's gross domestic product; 
     and
       Whereas, an analysis has found that such a proposal, if 
     enacted, would cause the loss of nearly one million jobs 
     nationwide in the first twelve to twenty-four months, forty-
     eight thousand of which are located here in Louisiana; and
       Whereas, this proposal would significantly reduce our 
     domestic energy production, making our nation more dependent 
     on less reliable, less safe foreign sources for energy 
     produced under weaker environmental standards and a higher 
     carbon footprint; and
       Whereas, with energy demand expected to continue to rise 
     until at least 2040, Louisiana currently produces nearly 
     twenty percent of our nation's energy, refines approximately 
     forty-five percent of the total United States petroleum, and 
     processes fifty-one percent of the nation's natural gas; and
       Whereas, while meeting this demand year after year, 
     Louisiana energy producers are at the forefront of carbon 
     emissions reduction technology development like carbon 
     capture and storage that can capture ninety percent of carbon 
     emissions from fossil fuels; and
       Whereas, in addition, the offshore oil and gas industry in 
     the United States operates under some of the most stringent 
     environmental rules in the world and its infrastructure also 
     supports some of the most abundant fish habitat providing 
     fishing opportunities that have made Louisiana the 
     ``Sportsman's Paradise''; and
       Whereas, protecting leasing and production in the Outer 
     Continental Shelf will help combat climate change by helping 
     our state combat coastal land loss and sustain oil and gas 
     operations in the Gulf of Mexico critical to energy 
     innovations needed to reduce carbon emissions; and
       Whereas, Louisiana and its local economies, especially 
     communities reliant on energy development and production, 
     have felt an outsized impact from the COVID-19 pandemic and 
     are expected to face a slower recovery than many other states 
     because of our large service sector employment; and
       Whereas, Louisiana already faces major budget shortfalls 
     that will impact schools, emergency services, and other 
     essential services; and
       Whereas, under the provisions of the Gulf of Mexico 
     Security Act, in 2019 alone energy production on the Outer 
     Continental Shelf generated over $155 million to the state of 
     Louisiana used for coastal restoration and hurricane 
     preparedness; and
       Whereas, ensuring access to available leasing acreage on 
     the Outer Continental Shelf will protect offshore energy 
     production as an essential part of our state's budget when 
     our state and local governments need it the most; therefore 
     be it
       Resolved, That the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby 
     memorialize the Louisiana Congressional Delegation and the 
     United States Congress to take such actions as are necessary 
     to defeat passage of the ``Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act 
     of 2020'' and to protect future opportunities for oil and gas 
     exploration on the Outer Continental Shelf; and be it further
       Resolved, That a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to 
     the presiding officers of the Senate and the House of 
     Representatives of the Congress of the United States of 
     America and to each member of the Louisiana Congressional 
     Delegation.

[[Page S7213]]

     
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