[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 17]
[House]
[Pages 23613-23614]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              AMERICA FUNDING OFFSHORE DRILLING IN BRAZIL

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, just one short year ago, the ban was 
lifted for drilling for oil on the Outer Continental Shelf. We call 
that the OCS. And that was a good thing. We should be one year closer 
to all those high-paying jobs. We should be one year closer to that 
shot in the arm for the American economy. We should be one year closer 
to American energy independence. But we're not.
  Not by a long shot, because, you see, Mr. Speaker, the government 
still stonewalls offshore drilling. And that's unfortunate for America. 
Between the OCS and oil shale resources, America could replace all of 
the oil Saudi Arabia sends us for the next 20 years. And that's a lot 
of oil.
  During that time, we could explore and develop other alternative 
energies to power our economy in the future. Also, by providing for our 
own energy with natural gas, solar, oil and nuclear, all of those 
issues are national security issues, so we won't depend on foreign 
countries for our energy in the future.
  Drilling off of our shore means jobs for Americans right now, real 
jobs, high-paying jobs, the kind of jobs that support whole families 
and pay to get kids into college. And it's not jobs on just oil 
platforms in the gulf. Think about all the other support industries, 
transportation, food, equipment, parts, insurers, construction and so. 
These real, high-dollar jobs would give a boost to our economy. These 
jobs are vital to America's families and to our economy, and it would 
keep American money in America. There's a real solution right in front 
of us for job and energy development.
  But the government continues to move in the opposite direction. The 
cap-and-trade national energy tax, now called the climate change bill, 
will destroy the U.S. energy industry. Millions of jobs that go along 
with it will also be lost.

                              {time}  1945

  It is a national tax on energy consumption. Plus, it won't really 
help the climate. Instead of taxing energy, we should find more energy 
and encourage American energy development.
  But we cannot drill off of our shores because I guess it will upset 
the blood pressure of the environmental elites. So, no new drilling.
  However, Mr. Speaker, I do have breaking news. The administration 
does support offshore drilling. According to the Wall Street Journal, 
the government is loaning over $2 billion in taxpayer money to a 
Brazilian company called Petrobras. Now, where did the United States, 
first of all, get that $2 billion to loan to a foreign company? I 
thought we were broke. How come taxpayer money is going to a Brazilian 
oil company anyway? Why isn't that money staying here in America?
  This Brazilian oil company is drilling off the shore of, not the 
United States, but Brazil. And are we getting that oil? Well, no, 
because China has a contract to purchase the hundreds of millions of 
barrels of oil those Brazilian oil fields will produce with taxpayer 
money. Isn't that lovely?
  Let me explain it this way. Here is a chart. Right here this 
represents the United States. Of course we have these signs, no 
offshore drilling off the United States coast. We can't do that. But we 
are sending $2 billion of American money down to a Brazilian oil 
company so they can, of course, drill off their shores. And is that 
money or oil coming back to us? I don't think so. That bag of money is 
going to China.
  Now, this seems a bit strange to me. Why are American taxpayers 
footing

[[Page 23614]]

the bill in Brazil without getting the oil or getting the money? Why 
aren't we expanding our own offshore drilling instead of sending 
American money to Brazil? Does anybody have the answer to that 
question? It seems like we should drill off our own coast, keep 
American money in America and take care of our own energy needs. We 
have millions of jobs just sitting there waiting to be created off our 
shores. Drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf and extracting oil 
shale would provide the much-needed boost to the American economy. And 
we should stop funding oil-producing countries that support terrorism 
and the Middle East.
  So what are we waiting for? If we would have started a year ago when 
the ban was lifted, our economy would be better than it is today. We 
would have had more jobs, jobs, jobs. It is way past the time for us to 
get started taking care of America. Don't drill in Brazil with American 
money. Don't take care of China. Drill American and take care of 
America.
  And that's just the way it is.

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