[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 147 (2001), Part 11]
[House]
[Page 15146]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                 SUPPORT OF THE PRESIDENT'S ENERGY PLAN

  Mr. OSBORNE. Mr. Speaker, I recently heard a member of the Committee 
on Resources make an interesting statement. This individual said that 
the United States currently has only 3 percent of the known oil 
reserves in the world. The truth is that we really do not know. We do 
not know whether it has 3 percent or 5 percent or 15 percent or 20 
percent, because for the last 10, 15, 20 years we have done absolutely 
no exploration. We have had no energy plan.
  Mr. Speaker, think about what corporation, what military unit, what 
athletic team would proceed without a plan and without knowing what its 
assets were. This is precisely what we have done here in the United 
States.
  I would really encourage people to support the President's energy 
plan because, number one, it provides a blueprint where there has been 
none, a plan of action that provides conservation practices and 
development of alternative fuels. It also provides for exploration 
which allows us to know what our assets and limitations are. In the 
event of an international crisis, it will be critical that we know what 
is there.

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