[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 152 (2006), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Pages 1194-1195]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      ENERGY AND NATURAL RESOURCES

  Mr. BURNS. Mr. President, today I join Senators Domenici, Bingaman, 
Talent and Dorgan in sponsorship of legislation instructing the 
Secretary of the Interior to develop an oil and gas leasing program for 
Lease Area 181, located 100 miles off the coast of Florida in the Gulf 
of Mexico.
  As oil and natural gas prices continuously increase, many Americans, 
especially Montanans, are feeling the strain of increased prices for 
energy use in their homes and businesses. Montana ag producers are 
particularly hard hit because the costs of fuel and fertilizer have 
skyrocketed. While I strongly support the idea of renewable energies, 
it will take years of research and development before there are 
practicable and affordable alternatives to oil and natural gas. 
Development of the American-owned offshore Lease Area 181 would provide 
nearly 5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas as a near term solution for 
our country's growing energy needs. That amount would be enough to heat 
5 million homes for 15 years.
  In order to strengthen American energy security, it is our obligation 
to use our own domestic resources whenever we can. Offshore drilling 
has proven to be a safe, reliable, and valuable technology for oil and 
gas production. Lease Area 181 is a phenomenal resource, and time after 
time in energy committee hearings when we ask expert witnesses for 
their opinions on how to best stabilize and lower natural gas prices, 
the answer is, ``Open Lease Area 181.'' It is not the entire answer to 
our energy challenges, but it is an important step forward. I applaud 
the leadership of the chairman and ranking member of the Energy and 
Natural Resources Committee for acting on this important issue. Next, I 
hope we examine the potential for additional onshore resource 
development. I come from an energy producing state, and I can tell you, 
without reservation, that Montana stands ready to serve the energy 
needs of this country. We have oil, natural gas, more coal than any 
other state, and a great potential for wind energy.
  I am confident that my fellow Senators will see the value in 
providing a

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supply of affordable energy from our domestic resources, and hope the 
Senate acts quickly on this important legislation.

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