[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 116 (Thursday, July 14, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3314-S3318]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                                 ENERGY

  Mr. SULLIVAN. Madam President, I want to turn to energy now. You know 
the President is in Saudi Arabia. There is a lot of irony here, I 
believe, because his administration has clearly--clearly--made it 
harder for Americans to produce American energy with American workers, 
with American infrastructure. That is a fact. That is a fact, OK? I see 
it in Alaska every day--every single day. The Federal Government is 
trying to stop the production of American energy.
  What are we seeing? Inflation, super high prices at the gas pump--
literally, everything. Senior administration officials are going to 
Wall Street. Senior administration officials who are Federal regulators 
for finance are all trying to choke off capital to the American energy 
sector. It hurts my constituents. It hurts the country.
  So the President is going to Saudi Arabia to beg them to produce 
more. He should send an envoy to Texas or an envoy to Alaska and say: 
Hey, how can we produce more here? How can we produce more here? I hope 
they are starting to change their tune. I hope they are starting to 
change their tune so that we don't need to beg the Saudis, dictators 
like Iran and Venezuela, and all these other autocratic regimes in the 
world to produce. We should produce it in our country. We have the 
highest standards in the world by far on the environment--by far. It is 
not even close. We have high standards of labor in the world.
  The Biden administration, in my State, has been a disaster. They have 
issued 26 Executive orders or Executive actions solely focused on my 
State, solely focused on Alaska, none of which has been helpful.
  Lately--lately--there has been discussion, constructive discussion, 
on a big project in Alaska called the Willow Project. The Biden 
administration is showing signs that they want to support it. That 
would make sense. The country needs energy. This would be done in the 
National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska set aside decades ago by Congress 
for oil and gas development--again, the highest standards in the world. 
I pitched the President on this project over a year ago in the Oval 
Office. By the way, it has some of the lowest emissions in the world of 
any big energy project. I am going to talk about who supports it.
  This has been in permitting for years. I won't go through the 
timeline, but this project, the Willow Project, has been in permitting 
for years. We could start building it this winter. As a matter of fact, 
we tried to start building it last winter.
  Like I said, I pitched the President on this: 2,000 construction 
jobs; enormous support from the building trades, labor unions; lowest 
greenhouse gas emissions for a project this type and size in America. 
And it would help us not have to go beg from other countries.
  But there has been a lot of press in the last week on the Willow 
Project. Of course, our mainstream media doesn't get it. They love to 
tell their kind of slanted story on the Willow Project, so I am going 
to push back. And, boy, if you are a reporter, I really hope you write 
down some of the stuff that I am going to talk about here because it is 
all factual. And with all due respect, most of you guys never write 
about these things.
  I am going to start with this chart. This is a really important chart 
in my mind, and it is important because this chart goes to an issue 
that really, really strikes to the heart and soul of why resource 
development in my State in particular is so important.
  This chart is from the American Medical Association, and it looks at 
life expectancy from 1980 to 2014: 25 years. And in different parts of 
America, you see different life expectancy in these different colors. 
The blue, darker blue-purple is areas where life expectancy has 
increased dramatically in the last 25 years.
  Unfortunately, there is yellow, orange, and even red. Life expectancy 
has slowed or even decreased in a few places. If you look at the map, 
that is mostly due to the horrendous opioid epidemic that we had as a 
nation.
  But if you look at this chart, the one State where life expectancy 
has increased the most, by far, is the State of Alaska. The one area in 
the State of Alaska that has increased the most in terms of life 
expectancy are many of our rural areas: North Slope Borough, Northwest 
Arctic Borough, Aleutian Island chain--13 years, 13 years. In 25 years, 
people's life expectancy went up that much.
  I have asked many times my Senate colleagues, Give me a policy 
indicator of success more important than are the people you 
representing living longer. Give me one. There isn't one. That is about 
as important as it gets.
  And in my State, it has happened. It has happened. Why has it 
happened? Why has it happened? Well, I will tell you why it has 
happened. First, in a lot of these rural areas, unfortunately, the life 
expectancy in the early eighties was quite low.
  These are primarily Alaskan Native communities, and they had some of 
the lowest life expectancies of any Americans--sometimes of any people 
in the world--because they didn't have things, like good jobs and flush 
toilets and clinics. They lived in real poverty. So we started really 
low.
  And then what happened? What happened that in these mostly Alaskan 
Native communities people started living longer? I will tell you what 
happened. They started getting jobs. Resource development happened, 
responsible resource development: oil, gas, mining, fishing.
  So when I talk about these issues, when Senator Murkowski talks about 
these issues, it is not just some kind of pie-in-the-sky issue of oil 
and gas. I mean, this is about life and death, which is why I come down 
here a little bit riled up sometimes because people don't have a clue. 
People don't have a clue.
  The radical enviros who try to shut down the economies of my State 
all the darned time and some U.S. Senators--primarily the senior 
Senator from New Mexico--who come down here and try to shut this down, 
they don't understand.
  So people are living longer in Alaska, much longer, more than any 
other part of the country because we have had responsible resource 
development, which brings me back to Willow.
  So, again, you will see all these articles in the Washington Post, 
all these stories. Heck, there is three this week, I think, about this 
one project. And they are all slanted. And you have got some Lower 48 
environmental group in New York City or San Francisco--oh my gosh, 
climate bomb--all this rhetoric that is hot air--pardon the pun--but 
not accurate. Who is supporting this project? Who is supporting?
  You have an incredible diversity of people supporting this project. 
First, the unions, every major union in America--building trades, AFL-
CIO--they are all supporting this project. They are all supporting this 
project.
  But what I really want to emphasize is another group that is very 
special to me that supports the Willow Project. And you see here some 
of the symbols of these groups right here.
  Some are the Alaska Chamber, Oil and Gas Association, Resource 
Development Council, but most of these symbols here are the Alaskan 
Native people--the Alaskan Native people, the leaders of a really 
important constituency in Alaska, the First Peoples of Alaska.
  Why am I saying this? Because our national media never talks about 
this, right? They will pick one group, one leader--oh, we are against 
it--so they write about it. That is baloney.
  The leaders of the Alaska communities, the Native communities are 
overwhelmingly supportive of this project. And here is my point: This 
administration loves to talk about environmental justice, environmental 
equity, communities that have been discriminated against to make sure 
they have access to proper environment, but you know what they do? They 
have been doing it for a year-and-a-half. When they talk about 
environmental justice, environmental equity, they always forget about 
Alaskan Natives.

[[Page S3315]]

They purposefully forget about Alaskan Natives. I see it all the time.
  They can't do it this time. This project--and come on, media, write 
the story. This project has overwhelming support by the Native leaders 
and Native communities in Alaska.
  So if you are for environmental justice and racial equity, all the 
things that the Biden administration says they are for, you better be a 
Willow supporter.
  And for those in the Biden administration, Gina McCarthy and others, 
someone should ask her, Why are you discriminating against Alaskan 
Native people, because that is exactly what you are doing.
  So you have, right here, some of our Alaska Native leaders in this 
statement:

       The administration cannot proclaim to support meaningful 
     tribal consultation and environmental justice while at the 
     same time killing a critical resource [project] that supports 
     . . . the Inupiat communities of the North Slope [region].

  That is right there from our great Alaska Native leaders, the Alaska 
Federation of Natives. I have their letter. That is the group 
representing every single Alaska Native organization in the State, the 
biggest group in the State, fully supports the Willow Project.
  The ANCSA Regional Corporation leadership fully supports the Willow 
Project.
  The Inupiat Community of the Arctic Slope fully supports the Willow 
Project.
  Senator Murkowski just put out a press release.
  I ask unanimous consent that the Senator Murkowski press release be 
printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                                     News Release,


                                               Lisa Murkowski,

                                                    July 14, 2022.

            Alaskans Voice Strong Support for Willow Project

       Washington, DC--In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Lisa 
     Murkowski (R-AK) issued the following statement in strong 
     support of ConocoPhillips' Willow project, located in the 
     National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A), after the federal 
     Bureau of Land Management (BLM) published a draft 
     Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for it late last 
     week.
       ``From day one, I've elevated the Willow project to the 
     Administration as my top priority, and I will continue to 
     hold them accountable to their commitment to see this 
     additional environmental review through so that construction 
     can begin this winter. Responsibly-developed Alaskan energy 
     benefits both our national security and American families who 
     are facing near-record energy prices,'' said Senator 
     Murkowski. ``The Willow project has gone through several 
     extraordinarily stringent environmental reviews and will 
     adhere to Alaska's world-class safety and environmental 
     standards. It's no wonder the project has such broad support 
     from Alaskans--including the Alaska Federation of Natives, 
     the Alaska AFL-CIO, the Alaska Chamber of Commerce, and 
     Alaska Native stakeholders across the North Slope.''
       Willow is critical to Alaska's economy, throughput in the 
     quarter-full Trans Alaska Pipeline System, domestic energy 
     security, and making energy more affordable for families and 
     businesses. The project is estimated to provide up to 160,000 
     barrels of American oil per day at peak production; $10 
     billion in revenue for state, local, and federal governments 
     during its lifespan; 2,000 construction jobs, and 300 
     permanent jobs.
       Following last week's announcement, a wide array of 
     Alaskans joined Senator Murkowski in voicing their continued 
     strong support for the Willow project and thanking her for 
     her longstanding advocacy of it. Murkowski encourages all 
     Alaskans to weigh in, in favor of Willow's final approval, 
     through BLM's 45-day public comment process.


                        WHAT ALASKANS ARE SAYIN

       ``RDC welcomed the news of the release of the Bureau of 
     Land Management's (BLM) draft supplemental environmental 
     impact statement for the Willow project,'' said Leila 
     Kimbrell, Executive Director for the Resource Development 
     Council for Alaska. ``After a delay to the project because of 
     an August 2021 court decision, RDC is pleased to see the 
     draft SEIS released in time to keep a winter construction 
     season and we thank Senator Murkowski for keeping pressure on 
     the administration to put this project back on track. We know 
     this will be a responsibly developed project, having already 
     undergone a rigorous multiyear environmental review. It's 
     time to move forward with a responsible domestic energy 
     project that will create thousands of jobs, generate tens of 
     billions of dollars, and strengthen our energy 
     independence.''
       ``The Willow Project is critical to the economic well-being 
     of our region's eight Inupiat villages. Every delay in the 
     project also delays the economic, infrastructure and 
     employment benefits the project will bring to North Slope 
     communities and our people. ASRC extends our gratitude to 
     Senator Murkowski, Senator Sullivan and the late Congressman 
     Don Young for their unwavering commitment to moving the 
     Willow Project forward,'' said Rex A. Rock, Sr., President 
     and CEO of Arctic Slope Regional Corporation.
       ``Thanks to Senator Murkowski for fighting for what is good 
     for Alaska and America; more domestic oil in the pipeline, 
     good jobs that support a family and lower fuel costs in our 
     future. Once again, Lisa gets it done. Alaskans should be so 
     proud of this tireless fighter for our state,'' said Joelle 
     Hall, President of Alaska AFL-CIO.
       ``ConocoPhillips and many stakeholders, including residents 
     of the North Slope and across Alaska are committed to the 
     Willow project as it will supply much needed energy for the 
     United States, while serving as a strong example of 
     environmentally and socially responsible development that 
     offers extensive public benefits. The Willow project has 
     undergone an extensive and rigorous multi-year environmental 
     analysis, including extensive baseline scientific studies. 
     The project will also create employment opportunities for 
     union labor and contribute local tax revenue that benefit 
     communities on the North Slope, as well as significant state 
     and federal tax revenue for many years. ConocoPhillips thanks 
     the Alaska Congressional Delegation--Senators Murkowski and 
     Sullivan, and the late Congressman Young--for their 
     tremendous efforts in advocating for the Willow project,'' 
     said Erec Isaacson, President of ConocoPhillips Alaska.
       ``Inupiat Community of the Arctic Slope supports the 
     development of the Willow Project. Responsible development 
     for our region will provide infrastructure, jobs and economic 
     growth for our tribal members. ICAS is pleased with the 
     environmental reviews that took place to ensure safe 
     development,'' said Morrie Lemen, Jr., Executive Director of 
     the Inupiat Community of The Arctic Slope.
       ``The desperate need for the Willow project could not come 
     at a more critical juncture in time. Alaskans and Americans 
     across the country are paying record high energy prices, 
     while the more than 20 year struggle to get the Willow 
     project developed serves as a chilling reminder that what 
     stands between Americans and lower energy prices is nothing 
     but bureaucratic red tape. Meanwhile, this vital project that 
     can drive energy abundance, is tucked away in the NPR-A 
     because government can't get out of the way. We appreciate 
     Senator Murkowski's tenacity on this issue and we look 
     forward to working with her to rollback despotic 
     environmental regulations,'' said Bernadette Wilson, State 
     Director of Americans for Prosperity Alaska.
       ``Energy security is vital to our country. Alaska has a 
     critical role and ability to provide needed energy. Among the 
     whole array of energy options, the Willow project can be a 
     shining example of success,'' said Julie Kitka, President of 
     the Alaska Federation of Natives.
       ``The release of the draft environmental review for the 
     Willow project comes at a critical time for Alaska and the 
     nation. Along with the majority of Alaskans, the Alaska 
     Chamber is a steadfast supporter of responsible development 
     projects that provide jobs, economic opportunity, and 
     increased revenue to state, local, and federal governments. 
     Now, more than ever, the United States needs to increase 
     domestic energy supply and enact and defend sound policy that 
     encourages development of our natural resources at home. The 
     Chamber thanks Senators Murkowski and Sullivan for their 
     persistence in keeping the Willow project at the forefront of 
     the discussion with the Biden Administration and ensuring the 
     project receives due process,'' said Kati Capozzi, President 
     and CEO of the Alaska Chamber of Commerce.
       ``Through the North Slope Borough permitting process we 
     exercise zoning and other oversight that has--in partnership 
     with the State and Fed's--led to some of the strictest 
     environmental regulations in our nation and one of the best 
     examples of responsible development in the world. Senator 
     Murkowski knows this and was a champion for our region on 
     endeavors like the Willow project. Willow will not only lead 
     to jobs, but better schools, health clinics, and 
     transportation infrastructure and we can't thank the Senator 
     enough for continuing to fight for the region and the 
     State,'' said D.J. Fauske, Director of Government and 
     External Affairs for the North Slope Borough.
       ``It is encouraging to see the Bureau of Land Management 
     release the revised draft environmental review of 
     ConocoPhillips' proposed Willow Master Development Plan in 
     the National Petroleum Reserve, or NPR-A. AOGA and its allies 
     will be fully engaged in the public meetings to come, and we 
     encourage all Alaskans to learn more about the project's 
     benefits and participate as the process moves forward. Willow 
     represents a near-term opportunity to help return the United 
     States to energy independence at a time when our country 
     desperately needs more domestic sources of oil and gas. Of 
     course, a project the size of Willow will also boost Alaska's 
     economy, creating job opportunities and providing tax 
     revenues to state, local, and federal governments. Alaskans 
     have long supported development of our oil and gas resources. 
     Now is the time to speak up and let the federal government 
     know how those of us who call Alaska home feel about

[[Page S3316]]

     projects like Willow: no one cares more about protecting our 
     environment or safely developing Alaska's resources than 
     Alaskans. Alaskans who want to be a part of this significant 
     step forward have a 45-day comment period to make their 
     voices heard,'' said Kara Moriarty, President and CEO of the 
     Alaska Oil and Gas Association.
       ``The Willow project represents a valid compliment to 
     rising energy needs while contributing to the health, well-
     being, security and self-determination of the region, state 
     and country. Regulatory process would be better served by 
     more effective implementation of process and less evaluation 
     by political trends,'' said Douglas Whiteman, Mayor of the 
     City of Atqasuk on the North Slope.

  Mr. SULLIVAN. Madam President, Alaskans Voice Strong Support for the 
Willow Project. She has a huge list of Alaskan Native groups and others 
who are supporting the Willow Project.
  I ask unanimous consent that the AFN letter be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                 Alaska Federation of Natives,

                                                February 23, 2022.
     Re AFN Continued Support for the Willow Project.

     Hon. Debra Haaland,
     Department of the Interior.
       Dear Secretary Haaland: On behalf of the Co-Chairs and 
     Board of Directors of the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN), 
     I write to share our long-standing support for the Alaska 
     Willow Project in the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska (NPR-
     A).
       The Willow Project has undergone stringent environmental 
     permitting and a vigorous community engagement process. It 
     was planned based on the requirements of the 2013 NPR-A 
     Integrated Activity Plan under the Obama-Biden Administration 
     and Secretary Salazar with the highest standards for 
     environmental stewardship. The permitting and environmental 
     review process encompassed a period of well over two years 
     and included multiple rounds of public comment and public 
     meetings with Alaska Native stakeholders. AFN appreciates the 
     outreach and communication between ConocoPhillips and the 
     Alaska Native community and considers the process a model for 
     other development initiatives.
       AFN understands that the need for a proactive whole of 
     government approach to deal with climate change; however 
     fossil fuels will be with us for quite some time to come, and 
     projects like Willow can help bridge the gap. As such, 
     delaying Willow any further will only hinder Alaska's 
     economic recovery. The Willow Project could jumpstart our 
     economy with thousands of jobs and be a model in community 
     and environmental stewardship for future opportunities.
       Additionally, the international crisis in Ukraine 
     highlights the Willow Project's importance to our national 
     security. The looming invasion of Ukraine by Russia is 
     already stressing global energy markets. The Willow Project 
     is a critical opportunity for the U.S. to expand domestic 
     energy supplies and security while creating economic 
     opportunities to help Alaska recover from the pandemic. As 
     such, I strongly urge you to support the current record of 
     decision and allow the Willow Project to move forward as 
     planned and previously approved.
       Thank you for your consideration. If you have questions, 
     please feel free to contact me.
           Sincerely,
                                                      Julie Kitka,
                                                        President.

  Mr. SULLIVAN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the ANCSA 
Regional Association letter be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                                 February 4, 2021.
     Hon. Deb Haaland,
     Secretary Nominee, Department of the Interior,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Secretary Nominee Haaland: The ANCSA Regional 
     Association (ARA) represents the twelve Regional Corporations 
     created under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) 
     which was approved by Congress and signed into law by 
     President Nixon in 1971. The Alaska Native Village 
     Corporation Association (ANVCA) represents 177 village and 
     urban corporations created by ANCSA. Together these 
     organizations represent over 150,000 Alaska Native 
     shareholders.
       We write today to urge the Department of Interior not to 
     delay the ConocoPhillips Alaska Willow Project given the 
     exhaustive and thorough review process it has already 
     undergone, and the urgent need for vetted, economic 
     opportunities for safe development in Alaska.
       ARA and ANVCA strongly support responsible resource 
     development in Alaska and are concerned about reports that 
     the DOI intends to, once again, review the EIS Record of 
     Decision (ROD) for Willow, which could delay or defer the 
     project's progress.
       There is no basis for further review of the ROD, given the 
     extensive record of public hearings, documented BLM efforts 
     to address all issues raised through public comment, 
     completion of an in-depth environmental analysis, and the 
     over 270 stipulations and best management practices the 
     project will be required to follow. The Willow EIS was 
     performed under the rigorous process in place during the 
     Obama Administration, and was not expedited or granted any 
     special consideration. The EIS took more than two years to 
     complete and the report itself totals more than 2,600 pages 
     of in-depth analysis. Given the extensive nature of the 
     process used to perform the Willow EIS, we request that the 
     Department of Interior not delay the Willow project for 
     further unnecessary analysis, or political rhetoric.
       The State of Alaska has been in recession for over five 
     years, well before the COVID pandemic hit, which then caused 
     further negative impacts in every industry important to our 
     state. The federal government should be looking at 
     opportunities to help Alaska respond to these impacts rather 
     than exacerbating them. Delaying a project like Willow, which 
     has already passed a rigorous EIS process, will cause ripple 
     effects throughout the Alaskan economy. This project will 
     support over 2,000 construction jobs and hundreds of long-
     term jobs, while providing over $2 billion in revenues to the 
     State of Alaska and $7.6 billion in federal royalties. For 
     context, $2 billion is roughly the size of the current budget 
     deficit faced by our state. Revenues received by this project 
     allows our rural communities to receive continued support to 
     schools, health clinics and basic public services like water 
     and sewer treatments.
       The Willow Project has passed every environmental and 
     community test put before it and would provide a much-needed 
     economic boost to Alaska. Delaying it any further will only 
     bring more harm to our state. It also harms the economy and 
     budget of the North Slope Borough, the local government most 
     closely impacted by the federal government's decision for 
     review.
           Best Regards,
     Kim Reitmeier,
       Executive Director, ARA.
     Hallie Bissett,
       Executive Director, ANVCA.

  Mr. SULLIVAN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the ICAS 
Community of the Arctic Slope be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                                 January 26, 2022.
     Hon. Raul Grijalva,
     House of Representatives,
     Washington, DC.
       Chairman Grijalva: It has come to our attention that you 
     are considering sending a letter to Secretary of the Interior 
     Deb Haaland opposing the Willow Project, a project located in 
     our region of Alaska. In your position as Chairman of the 
     House Natural Resources Committee, a committee that has 
     jurisdiction on issues related to the Indigenous Peoples of 
     the United States, we respectfully request that you meet with 
     and listen to the indigenous people of the North Slope of 
     Alaska before you take a position on the Willow Project.
       The Inupiat of the North Slope have lived in the Arctic for 
     over 10,000 years. We are proud of our self-determination 
     efforts to ensure future generations of Inupiat continue to 
     reside in our communities and have access to essential 
     services. Without a stable economy, our communities will 
     suffer and so too will our ability to engage in Inupiat 
     cultural traditions, including a subsistence way of life.
       The North Slope of Alaska spans an area nearly the size of 
     the state of Minnesota and within that expansive area, there 
     are eight Inupiat communities--Anaktuvuk Pass, Atqasuk, 
     Kaktovik, Nuiqsut, Point Hope, Point Lay, Utqiagvik and 
     Wainwright. None of our communities are accessible by road; 
     all supplies must be flown or barged in making the cost of 
     living extremely high, and economic opportunity generally 
     low. Our North Slope residents are keenly aware that advances 
     in our communities--running water, local schools, health 
     care, public safety, electricity, and more have come as a 
     result of the coordination and cooperation of Alaska Native 
     leaders and entities across the region.
       As you know, fifty years ago, the Federal Government 
     directed Alaska Native people to organize in a new structure 
     of indigenous representation. The Alaska Native Claims 
     Settlement Act of 1971, commonly referred to as ANCSA, was a 
     dramatically different approach by the Federal Government to 
     Federal Indian policy Unlike the Lower 48 model of indigenous 
     representation that typically has a central entity on the 
     reservation, the Tribe, that administers the delivery of 
     services like healthcare, public safety, education, land 
     management and economic development to name a few, the 
     passage of ANCSA created a fragmented system of Alaska Native 
     representation and delivery of services.
       Our region has a multitude of Alaska Native entities that 
     work together to effectively serve, provide for and enrich 
     the lives of the Inupiat people we represent. Our three 
     entities, the Inupiat Community of the Arctic Slope (ICAS), 
     the North Slope Borough

[[Page S3317]]

     (Borough) and Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC) are 
     three of those entities. While our roles are defined, our 
     constituencies overlap which is why we work closely together 
     to protect the cultural and economic interests of the North 
     Slope Inupiat.
       Established in 1971, the Inupiat Community of the Arctic 
     Slope is a federally recognized regional tribal government 
     for the North Slope and represents over 13,000 Inupiat tribal 
     members. The mission of ICAS is to exercise its sovereign 
     rights and powers for the benefit of tribal members, to 
     conserve and retain tribal lands and resources including 
     subsistence and environmental issues, to establish and carry 
     out justice systems including social services under Inupiat 
     tribal law and custom, and to increase the variety and 
     quality of services provided to current tribal members and 
     for our future generations.
       The North Slope Borough is a home rule government located 
     above the Arctic Circle that represents the roughly 10,000 
     residents in the eight communities of the region. The 
     Borough's jurisdiction includes the entire National Petroleum 
     Reserve--Alaska (NPR-A) and the villages within it--Nuiqsut, 
     Atqasuk, Utqiagvik, and Wainwright. In 1972, the Inupiat 
     people of the North Slope formed the Borough to ensure our 
     communities would benefit from oil and gas development on 
     their ancestral homelands. It was the first time Native 
     Americans took control of their destiny through the use of a 
     municipal government. The Borough exercises its powers of 
     taxation, property assessment, education, and planning and 
     zoning services. Taxes levied on oil and gas infrastructure 
     have enabled the Borough to invest in public infrastructure 
     and utilities, support education, and provide police, fire, 
     emergency and other services. Elsewhere in rural Alaska, 
     these services are typically provided by the state or federal 
     governments.
       Arctic Slope Regional Corporation was incorporated pursuant 
     to the passage of ANCSA. ASRC is owned by and represents the 
     business interests of our approximately 13,000 Inupiat 
     shareholders, many of whom reside in the eight communities on 
     the North Slope. ANCSA extinguished aboriginal land title and 
     conveyed nearly five million acres of fee-simple land to ASRC 
     for the cultural and economic benefit of our Inupiat 
     shareholders. Mandated by Congress to not only operate as a 
     for-profit corporation but to serve the social and welfare 
     interests of the people it represents, ASRC is committed to 
     providing financial returns to our Inupiat shareholders in 
     the form of jobs and dividends, and to preserving Inupiat 
     culture and traditions.
       Over the decades, and even more so today, we have seen 
     national environmental nongovernmental organizations (ENGOs) 
     attempt to wear the mantle of protectors of Indigenous 
     interests in the U.S. Arctic--something that we, as elected 
     and appointed leaders of the Inupiat people of the North 
     Slope, find unacceptable. ENGO's continue to push a false 
     narrative to advance their agendas at the expense of the 
     Indigenous people and communities of the North Slope.
       To fully embrace the Biden Administration's priorities of 
     racial equity, environmental justice and supporting 
     underserved communities, leaders must take the time to listen 
     to those they are aiming to serve, even if their perspective 
     may not fit the political narrative being pushed on a 
     national level.
       We understand that your proposed letter not only requests 
     Secretary Haaland oppose the Willow Project, but it calls for 
     terminating the project in order to protect the resources 
     that support Indigenous communities. The Administration 
     cannot proclaim to support meaningful tribal consultation and 
     environmental justice while at the same time killing a 
     critical resource that supports our regional economy and the 
     Inupiat communities of the North Slope region. If the 
     contents of your proposed letter are true, this would be 
     highly offensive to our region's leadership.
       ICAS, the Borough and ASRC support the development of the 
     Willow Project. Our region has a fifty-year relationship with 
     the oil and gas industry, which came as a result of the 
     Federal Government's desire to develop oil and gas resources 
     on our ancestral homelands. While initially wary of any 
     development on our lands, through open communication and 
     transparency in planning and Inupiat ingenuity, our 
     relationship with the oil and gas industry has turned into a 
     partnership. A partnership that has brought significant 
     economic benefits to the region that would have otherwise 
     been absent. The entities that represent the North Slope 
     Inupiat play an active role in oil and gas development 
     projects that take place in our region. Our region has shown 
     that responsible development and the continuation of our 
     Inupiat cultural traditions, including subsistence 
     activities, can effectively coexist while also providing the 
     means to deliver modern-day essential services such as police 
     and fire protection, pre-K-12 education and water and sewer 
     infrastructure (which again, are largely made possible 
     through responsible development of oil and gas resources on 
     our lands).
       If you are truly concerned about curbing oil and gas 
     development, examine the massive imports of Russian oil 
     coming into the West Coast of the United States and also ask 
     why the Biden Administration has recently called for OPEC to 
     produce more overseas developed oil to stave off Russian 
     aggression in Ukraine. None of these countries have the same 
     stringent rules and regulations imposed on oil and gas 
     companies that operate in the U.S., including in our region 
     of Alaska. The North Slope region has developed our oil and 
     gas resources safely and for the direct benefit of our 
     Inupiat community and the nation.
       We would be grateful and honored to have the opportunity to 
     meet with you on this topic and ask that you consider meeting 
     with us before sending a letter that does not align with the 
     interests of the Inupiat of the North Slope of Alaska.
       If there are any questions we can answer for you or your 
     staff, or to schedule a time to meet please contact Bridget 
     Anderson, ASRC's Vice President External Affairs.
           Sincerely,
     George Edwardson,
       President,
       Inupiat Community of the Arctic Slope.
     Harry K. Brower, Jr.,
       Mayor,
       North Slope Borough.
     Rex A. Rock. Sr.,
       President and CEO,
       Arctic Slope Regional Corporation.

  Mr. SULLIVAN. Madam President, so here is my point: The next time the 
media writes a big story on Willow and environmental justice and racial 
equity--which they love to do--and Alaska, they need to include this. 
This is the truth. They need to include the strong union support.
  Go talk to the laborers, go talk to the building trades, go talk to 
Sean McGarvey, Terry O'Sullivan. See what they think about Willow.
  There is one group that doesn't like Willow. It is the same group 
that doesn't like anything in America. It is the radical far-left 
environmental groups that are trying to shut down my State and keep 
Native Americans, Native Alaskans, impoverished in Alaska. I am not 
going to let that happen.
  Here is one final thing. It is funny, not funny--Amusing, not 
amusing. Again, this is really important. This is about life and death.
  You have all these stories about Willow in the national media, but 
what really, really kind of burns me up is there is a story--you know, 
they talk about the climate bomb, whatever the heck that means; it is 
not factual. But the one story I never see about Federal lands--real 
big increases in oil and gas production, real big increases in 
emissions--that never gets written about, again for our friends in the 
media--never--is what is going on in New Mexico, what is going on in 
New Mexico.
  Well, we know some of the Members, the senior Senator from New 
Mexico, he loves to come after Alaska projects; I don't know why. Shut 
them down. Maybe to divert the media's attention from what is going on 
in his State. But I just want to give a couple stats.
  Since 2019, New Mexico has increased production in its oil production 
by 700,000 barrels a day. It is pretty impressive. They were at 800,000 
barrels; they have increased by almost 700,000. They have increased 
more than Alaska even produces in 3 years.
  It is now the second largest oil producer in the country. The senior 
Senator from New Mexico recently bragged that is up 400 percent. OK. 
Good for him.
  It is still amazing to me; he comes down here a lot, writes letters 
to try to shut down my State. But, whatever, I don't go after New 
Mexico. But I do want our friends in the media to just kind of ask the 
questions. Boy, oh, boy, you want to talk about climate bomb: 700,000 
barrels a day. They have more carbon emissions than Alaska by far. 
Nobody is writing that story. But it is also how we do our 
environmental standards in different States. My State has the highest 
standards in the world on energy production--New Mexico, not so much.
  Let me just give you a couple of examples: The average well in Alaska 
is 28,000 barrels a day because it is conventional. We are actually--
the resource is so rich there, we are not fracking like they do in the 
unconventional area. The average well in New Mexico produces 100 
barrels--a hundred barrels to 28,000. So what does that mean? You have 
to drill 280 wells in New Mexico just to reach the equivalent of one in 
Alaska.
  So the environmental footprint is much bigger. The carbon emission is 
much bigger. New Mexico flares its gas. We reinject our gas--again, 
highest environmental standards in the world.
  We conduct our exploration and drilling activities only in the 
winter. You have to build ice roads, ice pads. Zero impact. I used to 
be in charge of this.

[[Page S3318]]

  It is very expensive to do that. One little drop of anything--chewing 
tobacco--on the tundra, you have to report it. So where is the story 
about what is going on there?
  Where is the carbon bomb story on New Mexico? Where is the story that 
the Secretary of the Interior has directed almost half the Federal 
permits to drill in the country to one State? Do you think it is 
Alaska? No way. They are trying to shut us down.
  You think it is Texas? Nope. North Dakota? Nope. It is New Mexico. 
Golly gee, isn't that interesting?
  I sure hope--look, it is terribly suspicious from my perspective that 
one State has received more Federal energy permits in the last 15 
months than all other States in America combined. The Secretary of the 
Interior is from New Mexico. OK. Maybe there is something there.
  But here is the bottom line: There have been barrels of ink spilled 
on every single project in Alaska--Willow, this week. But reporters 
shrug their shoulders, look the other way. Maybe it is because it is a 
blue State, they don't want to touch those guys, when it comes to New 
Mexico. No wonder Americans don't trust the media.
  I am going to conclude with this quote. It is from a Wall Street 
Journal editorial written by the North Slope Borough mayor, Harry 
Brower, the Inupiat leader of the North Slope community and Josiah 
Paktotak, who is the State rep. These are two Alaska Native leaders 
elected. They are fully supportive of Willow.
  It was in the Wall Street Journal, entitled ``Let Alaska Sell 
American Energy to the World,'' and it was written in March, as Russia 
was invading Ukraine.
  They said:

       Even as Russian tanks lined up on the Ukrainian border in 
     February, the Biden administration froze U.S. drilling on 
     Federal lands and issued rules making it harder to build 
     natural gas pipelines.

  By the way, that is the rule that I am putting forth a CRA resolution 
to rescind.
  They continue:

       We may be Inupiaq Eskimos 5,000 miles away from the 
     Washington policy machine, but we know crazy when we see it. 
     And this is crazy.

  And the American people know it.
  Now, look, the President is in the Middle East, meeting with allies, 
asking for the Saudis to produce more oil. But as he would say: Come 
on, man. You got to start at home. You got to start at home.
  The Willow Project in Alaska, supported by the Native community, 
supported by the unions--I would guarantee supported by probably 90 
percent of Americans--it is time to get things like this done.
  So our NEPA Congressional Review Act and our advocacy for commonsense 
projects, like Willow, supported by every single group in my State--and 
I sure hope the media writes about this--especially the Native people--
if they shut this down, that will be the ultimate injustice to 
indigenous people in Alaska, and they know it. And that is one of the 
many reasons why they shouldn't do it.
  I yield the floor.

                          ____________________