[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 18]
[Senate]
[Pages 25490-25491]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                  ENERGY FROM ALASKA: JOBS FOR AMERICA

  Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I rise this morning to speak about a 
topic of great importance to our Nation; that is, the subject of jobs.
  I know this subject is on the minds of my colleagues, and certainly 
on the minds of my constituents back home in Alaska, but really 
Americans throughout the country.
  Since 2000, the American economy has been in a slump. In 2000, we 
were headed toward a recession. The stock market declined and the 
technology bubble burst. Then came September 11.
  When terrorists struck the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, our 
economy suffered. And as we, as a country, mourned the loss of 3,000 
innocent Americans, we again watched that stock market tumble and, 
really, the economy grind to a halt.
  This administration has been working very hard not only to protect 
American people from terrorism but to revive, to reinvigorate our 
economy.
  The approach that has been taken to cut Federal taxes, as we have 
done in Congress, the move the Federal Reserve Board has taken in 
cutting interest rates, those were the right things to do. But we can 
do so much more. We can and we must take positive steps to create good 
paying jobs for Americans.
  On the floor recently many of my colleagues have been talking about 
the loss of jobs we have sustained over the last few years. The truth 
is, we have lost a lot of jobs. But I do not want to talk this morning 
about those jobs that we have lost. I want to look forward. I want to 
talk about the many jobs we can and should create for Americans who are 
out of work.
  Currently, we have a House-Senate conference committee crafting a 
comprehensive Energy bill. In late July, in a show of great 
bipartisanship, the Senate passed an Energy bill to conference. There 
were 83 of my colleagues who supported me in this measure. Fourteen 
Senators voted against the bill.
  Attempts have been made by both Republicans and Democrats to enact a 
national energy policy to reduce our country's dependence on fossil 
fuels, much of which comes from foreign countries, and to improve the 
existing energy infrastructure in the U.S.
  Most people would agree we need a national energy policy to address 
our concerns, but there is widespread division as to how we go about 
it. These divisions can be partisan, they can be ideological, or they 
can be regional. I encourage the conferees working on the Energy bill 
to put these differences aside and reach an agreement that meets the 
energy needs of Americans. Of course, as we know, that is easier said 
than done. Developing a national energy policy is, to say the very 
least, difficult. It means many things to different people. Therein 
lies the problem with passage of a national energy policy.
  My colleagues in the House represent diverse opposing interests. We 
all have diverse interests. We come to it from a different perspective, 
as we approach a national energy policy. So while it may be easy to get 
Members interested in talking about a national energy policy, when it 
actually comes to putting the pen to paper, it is much more difficult 
to garner support.
  As part of a national energy policy, I have been advocating opening 
the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas exploration, as well 
as enacting a fiscal package to build a natural gas pipeline from 
Alaska to the lower 48. My constituents are eager to offer our State's 
natural resources to the Nation to meet our shared energy needs.
  I will continue to fight, as I have been, to get these provisions in 
an Energy bill. I do not apologize or make any excuses for what I have 
to do for my State. It is my job. But developing Alaska's energy 
resources not only benefits Alaskans but it benefits Americans.
  I will explain how developing Alaska's resources will benefit all 
Americans. Before I do so, I will discuss what a comprehensive energy 
policy must contain, in my opinion. Some of my colleagues think the 
only thing I want in an Energy bill is ANWR and a natural gas pipeline. 
From my perspective, an energy policy that does not utilize the vast 
domestic energy reserves in Alaska is not comprehensive. We must 
provide for increased oil and

[[Page 25491]]

gas production in order to meet the country's demand for energy. In my 
mind that is very clear. But there is more to an energy policy than 
that. The policy must address our renewable energy reserves.
  At the same time we encourage domestic production of energy, we must 
promote energy efficiency and energy conservation. We cannot have a 
comprehensive policy by doing just one or the other. We have to have 
both.
  I am not going to talk this morning about energy dependence, 
technically recoverable barrels of oil, known cubic feet of gas, or the 
minimal impact that energy development in Alaska would have on the 
environment. My colleagues have heard those arguments time and time 
again. This morning I want to talk about jobs. I want to talk about how 
we can create good paying jobs for all Americans. I don't want a single 
man or woman in America who is willing to work and looking for work to 
be locked out of finding a job. Americans can't enjoy the American 
dream without a job. It is as simple as that.
  We have passed legislation to stimulate the economy. We have passed 
legislation to cut taxes. But our work is not done until Americans have 
work.
  In my State, traditionally we have had the highest unemployment among 
the States. According to the September 2003 seasonally adjusted 
unemployment rates, Alaska's unemployment rate overall is 7.8 percent. 
In many parts of my State, it is in the double digits, something that 
is hard for many of my colleagues to imagine. In our neighboring State 
of Washington, the unemployment rate is 7.6 percent. When Americans 
can't find work, our job in Congress is not done. We have to get to 
work to get people to work.
  I don't know how much more clear I can be on this point. I want the 
men and women of this country who are searching for a job to be able to 
find them--good paying jobs, jobs with benefits such as retirement and 
health care, and jobs that can sustain a family.
  How do we create these jobs? It is through the Energy bill. We ought 
to call this legislation the national jobs bill because that is what 
the Energy bill can be. If we do it right, this Energy bill can be the 
jobs bill.
  I have said before that developing the energy resources in Alaska 
will create jobs. No one can deny that. If we open ANWR, if we build a 
natural gas pipeline, we create jobs. They are good paying jobs for 
Alaskans.
  I have heard the reasons from Democrats and Republicans in both the 
House and the Senate of why we should not open ANWR or why we cannot 
produce a fiscal package that would ensure construction of a natural 
gas pipeline. But I have to ask: Are they saying we can't create jobs 
or we should not create jobs? Are they saying we should not create good 
paying jobs for Americans? I don't think there is a Member of this body 
or the other body who would state that they oppose job creation.
  So I say to my colleagues: Let's do the right thing. Let's protect 
our energy security, our economic security.
  Let's create good paying jobs for Americans.
  I direct my colleagues' attention to a report recently completed by 
the National Defense Council Foundation. This report is current. It is 
scheduled to go to print on October 30. The NDCF is a nonprofit think 
tank that studies defense and foreign affairs issues facing the United 
States. The experts at NDCF specialize in the study of low-intensity 
conflict, the drug war, and energy concerns. It is not affiliated with 
DOD or any part of the Federal Government. This report is entitled 
``Eliminating America's Achilles Heel, Our Addiction to Foreign Oil and 
How To Overcome It.''
  This report estimates the direct and indirect jobs that would be 
created by the development of the oil in ANWR and Alaska's natural gas 
reserves.
  The NDCF estimates that opening ANWR would create 1,074,640 jobs 
throughout America. It is important to repeat that number: 1,074,640 
jobs throughout America. That is opening ANWR. The NDCF also looked at 
how many jobs would be created by the construction of an Alaska natural 
gas pipeline.
  They estimate that it would create 1,135,778 direct and indirect jobs 
throughout the Nation. Again, 1,135,778 direct and indirect jobs would 
be created through the construction of an Alaskan natural gas pipeline.
  So if we do both, that is 2.2 million jobs--good paying jobs--
throughout the country. The estimate, according to the NDCF, is 
2,210,418. If you were to ask anybody, certainly in this body, if you 
could pass a bill to create 2.2 million jobs, would you do it? Of 
course you would.
  The Energy bill is not just an answer to our energy problem; it is an 
answer to our economic problems. It is a jobs bill.
  I need to talk numbers a little bit more because I am sure you are 
thinking, well, of course, Senator Murkowski is advocating this because 
it means good jobs for her constituents in the State of Alaska. That is 
absolutely true; there are going to be good jobs in my State of Alaska. 
In Alaska, according to the NDCF, Alaska resource development would 
generate 202,464 direct jobs and 131,917 indirect jobs. That is about 
330,000 out of 2.2 million jobs.
  So where are the rest of these jobs? They are spread literally 
throughout the country, all throughout the lower 48 States, and Hawaii 
and the District of Columbia. So Alaska is not the only State that 
benefits. There will be 315,435 direct and indirect jobs generated in 
California.
  Let's look at what we might have in South Carolina for the Presiding 
Officer's edification. If both ANWR and the gas line were opened, there 
would be 12,115 direct and indirect jobs in the State of South 
Carolina. New York would see 93,356 jobs. Washington State would see 
139,089 jobs.
  Now, I am sure somebody is going to ask me--or perhaps target this 
study in an attempt to poke holes in the methodology--but the 
interesting news here is that many of the people who approve of the 
methodology for this study represent some of the largest environmental 
groups in the country. So this means that the environmental groups have 
signed off on the methodology used for this study that shows that more 
than 2.2 million new jobs would be created from ANWR and the natural 
gas pipeline.
  I conclude that by adding that through the opening of Alaska's 
natural resources, we not only provide the energy that this country 
needs but again we provide jobs throughout the country--good paying 
jobs. I ask my colleagues, as we move forward with the Energy bill, to 
keep this in mind for the good of the country.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The time of the Senator has expired.
  The Senator from Wisconsin is recognized.
  Mr. FEINGOLD. I yield myself as much of our time as I require.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator may proceed.

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