[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 1]
[House]
[Page 410]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   OIL COMPANIES REDUCING EXPLORATION

  (Mr. ALTMIRE asked and was given permission to address the House for 
1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. ALTMIRE. Madam Speaker, remember the ``Drill here, Drill Now'' 
rallying cry we heard nonstop on this floor? Even when the lights were 
off and Congress was in recess, the other side stood here in the dark, 
with their charts and graphs, blaming Democrats for high gas prices.
  If only we would allow drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf, they 
said, the oil companies would expand exploration and produce oil in 
record amounts. Well, we opened up the OCS for the first time in 20 
years, and now the oil companies are free to explore and drill without 
restriction.
  But the oil companies are reducing exploration. That's right. We 
opened up the OCS to the oil companies and they responded by cutting 
back on exploration.
  Where is the outrage from my colleagues on the other side?
  Congress did its part. So when gas prices inevitably go back up, I 
hope they will focus their ``Drill Baby Drill'' chants directly on the 
oil companies.

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