[Congressional Record Volume 169, Number 47 (Tuesday, March 14, 2023)]
[Senate]
[Pages S762-S763]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                             Willow Project

  Mr. President, as I am here on the floor today and speaking of great 
news for Alaskans, I cannot yield the floor without noting the 
significance of the news yesterday. Yesterday, a record decision was 
announced by the Biden administration announcing that the Willow 
Project, in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, has been approved 
and that ConocoPhillips, the producer, will be allowed to advance under 
what is now a modified alternative that will allow for three pads of 
drilling activity in the National Petroleum Reserve.
  This is significant for Alaska from a jobs perspective. This is going 
to be about 2,500 jobs to a State that desperately needs that. This 
will be revenue and income to a State that desperately needs that. Our 
economy is still suffering in a post-pandemic world.
  Our economy is still challenged in many, many ways. We are seeing a 
net outmigration unlike any State in the country. And it is because it 
is directly tied to the State of our economy. So we recognize that we 
are a resource-based State. So to be able to access resources not only 
for the benefit of Alaskans but for the benefit of the country, and, in 
fairness, for the benefit of our friends and allies who look to us--who 
look to us--and our resources to be able to help them as well.
  I have been asked by many, ``What is the Willow Project?'' Well, the 
Willow Project is an oil project, yes. But Willow represents economic 
security; it represents energy security; and it represents national 
security.
  It was a pretty incredible effort that came together to advance the 
cause of this. This was not one oil company that is standing off in the 
corner, saying: We want to be allowed to proceed here. It was an 
extraordinary coalition of Alaska Native leaders and individuals. It 
was an extraordinary coalition of labor leaders not only in the State; 
100 percent of the labor unions in Alaska support advancing Willow 
backed by their national unions back here because they know that these 
will be good-paying jobs. These will be solid union jobs. These will be 
jobs for the future.
  It was backed by a coalition of industry leaders, the university, 
unanimous--unanimous--resolutions out of both Houses of our State 
legislature. Think about that. We have a pretty broad spectrum across 
the political spectrum when it comes to our State legislature. So to 
know that from the southeast all the way to the north and the southwest 
that Alaskans came together, through their elected representatives, to 
affirm their support of this project advancing, it was really quite 
remarkable.
  It was a united delegation--Senator Sullivan, Representative Peltola, 
and myself--coming together to lead this effort, working with our 
Governor. It was a coalition that was remarkable and remarked upon, and 
rightly so, because there are oftentimes so many matters that draw us 
apart. And there are--there are--opposing voices to this in Alaska. We 
understand that.
  But I think it was so important that the voices of Alaskans--
particularly those who live and work and raise their families in the 
North Slope--that those voices were heard. And what they heard from 
those who were from the North Slope region are that this is not only 
jobs in economic opportunity; these are resources that will help us 
with our quality of life, help us be able to resource and finance the 
search and rescue that goes on when somebody has gone missing on a 
hunting trip for their subsistence purposes, to help with the community 
supports, whether it is through the schools or public safety. The North 
Slope Borough is very unique in how they provide for all of their 
services for their residents in their eight communities across that 
huge borough that stretches all the way across the entire North Slope 
of the State.

  And so, for them, this is significant and real in a meaningful way. 
It means everything to them in terms of health and wellness and life 
expectancy. As we have seen the benefits of the resources that come to 
these areas that flow from the oil, we have seen an absolute increase 
in life expectancy because of the quality of life that then can come 
with decent housing, with decent healthcare, with access to food and 
resources.
  What has been seen up north has been consequential. So this was an 
issue that when presented to the administration, when the Alaskan 
voices were allowed to be heard, the administration listened. And I 
thank them for that. I thank them for allowing those voices to be 
heard.
  I also recognize that in addition to allowing Willow to advance, the 
administration is proposing to submit rulemaking in a period of time, 
maybe within a matter of weeks, maybe a matter of months, that would 
provide for special protections--further special protections--within 
the NPRA.
  There is much to be seen about what these protections will entail, 
whether it will allow for any level of activity, whether it be 
crossings in any way, pipeline or road, in any way. There is much to be 
learned. The administration has sent that signal that in order to 
advance the oil production opportunities within the Willow footprint--
that vastly reduced footprint--that they want to add additional 
protections in several different areas.
  We will evaluate that. We will take a look critically. There is a 
process that will follow. We understand that. But I think for today and 
where we are in recognizing the value that Willow will bring to Alaska, 
that Willow will bring to our country, it is important to applaud the 
actions of the administration and the President in advancing this.
  At peak production, Willow is expected to bring online about 180,000 
barrels of oil a day. That is significant. It is significant and 
putting it into context with where the United States has had to turn 
recently as we have looked to meet demand here in this country. The 
ask, the willingness to go to Venezuela, to lift sanctions, to ask for 
more production out of Venezuela--Venezuela will be providing us about 
100,000 barrels a day.
  Think about where we would be if Alaska's Willow opportunity were 
already online. We would not have had to go to Maduro. We would not 
have had to go to a country whose environmental track record is 
abysmal. We would not have to turn to those countries that not only 
have environmental degradation as they produce their resource but human 
rights issues that we don't want to see, we don't want to talk about. 
We just know that for this time we need your oil. We cannot export that 
environmental consequence.
  We should be producing where we know we can do it safely, where it is 
under tight environmental conditions and restrictions and limitations, 
where the producers will adhere to the rules of the road, the rule of 
law, that there is a sensitivity to the environment around there as we 
operate up north.
  They say that we have some of the tightest environmental conditions 
on how we access our resources out of the northern region than 
anywhere--anywhere not only in the country but in

[[Page S763]]

the world. And there is a reason for that. It costs more. It adds to 
the cost. But there is a sensitivity to the land. And we appreciate 
that. As an Alaskan, I appreciate that and I expect that and I demand 
that of the companies. And if you are not willing to operate this way, 
then you shouldn't be coming to Alaska.
  But companies that are willing to respect the fact that when the 
tundra is no longer frozen, there is no exploration activity. There is 
no work that proceeds in that way off of the tundra.
  So in Alaska, our season, if you will, is 90 days. It is 90 days. And 
it is not 90 days in the good weather. It is between basically January 
and April--the coldest, darkest, harshest time that anyone could be up 
on the North Slope, much less being outside and working. But that is 
how we do it because that is when the ground is frozen. That is when we 
have that license to operate, if you will. And we respect that. And it 
is not when the companies decide we are done with this aspect of the 
program. When things start to warm up and start to thaw, that is when 
you are gone. And you are gone because the State regulators and the 
Federal regulators have said: Clock is up. You don't have extra 
additional days because spring is coming.
  And so think about that. Any other business in the world, can you 
think about having just a 90-day window of operation? We do a fair 
amount of that in Alaska because, quite honestly, our seafood industry 
is certainly that way out in Bristol Bay. We do have a lot of seasonal 
activity. But think about what that means if you are trying to build a 
project and you have to stop--stop--after 90 days. Think about what it 
means to design a project around sensitive areas that may have wildlife 
or waterfowl that we need to be sensitive. Well, that is what we do. 
This project--this Willow Project--that was sent back for revision was 
to make sure that the impact on subsistence hunting, the impact on the 
animals was not going to be appreciable. And so there is a sensitivity. 
We get it. We get it.
  The people who live up there are the first stewards of the land, and 
they get it. So when you have whaling captains who are standing 
shoulder to shoulder with the Alaska delegation out in front of the 
Capitol, standing there saying that we need Willow--we need Willow for 
our economy, we need Willow for our people, and we will make sure that 
the subsistence needs of those who live in the area are met. We will 
make sure that the environmental considerations are met. So we are 
ready. We are ready to proceed.
  As I stand here, I am regretful that I think the next phase of this 
is not necessarily going to be movement towards gaining production; it 
is going to be movement towards the courts because that is just what 
seems to happen in every development project in my incredible State. 
But we are prepared for that as well. We are prepared for that as well 
because this project is environmentally sound, it is just, it is fair, 
it is balanced, and it is time.
  Again, I stand here appreciative that the administration has heard 
the voice of Alaskans. Now, let's get to work.
  I yield the floor.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Senator from Texas.