[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 2]
[House]
[Pages 2490-2491]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        DOMESTIC OIL EXPLORATION

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
Pennsylvania (Mr. Murphy) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. MURPHY of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, while we are all aware of 
the debt this country has hanging over our heads, over $15.3 trillion, 
we have to also be aware of what it takes to grow our way out of this 
debt. Part of the way of growing us out of this debt is by having jobs. 
But there is also another burden hanging over our heads, and that is 
the cost of gasoline to American families, which adds to their own 
personal debt.
  Bear in mind at the last inauguration in 2009, the price of gasoline 
was $1.83 a gallon. Now, it's approaching $4 a gallon. Think about what 
that means to the average family where they're spending a couple 
thousand dollars more per year for gasoline and no end in sight. It's 
expected that prices will go up to well over $4, perhaps $5, per gallon 
in some States in the coming months. It is a burden that families, 
unfortunately, have to bear when they find themselves needing to travel 
to and from work or to and from other important activities and they 
cannot avoid this, especially in areas where public transportation is 
weak or not available.
  Now, we have put forth a plan in this House to open up some other 
areas for drilling for our own oil. It has been criticized by some who 
say it would take too long for that oil to get to market and by others 
who say it wouldn't have that much of a price difference on oil. I beg 
to differ. Four or 5 years ago when I put forth a bill, a bipartisan 
bill with many of my colleagues, to open up the Outer Continental Shelf 
for drilling, we had noted at that time the impact that would have upon 
our economy. It's anticipated that there's about $8 trillion worth of 
oil and natural gas off our coast, and that would lead, if that were 
invested in our infrastructure, to over 1 million new jobs per year for 
the next few years.

                              {time}  1110

  The Federal revenue that would come from that over the next 20 years 
would be about $2.5 trillion to $3.7 trillion. Even when you're talking 
about our national debt, those are large numbers. If we invest that in 
America's infrastructure, noting that for every $1 billion we invest 
it's about 30,000 to 35,000 jobs, that's a lot of jobs, and it takes 
care of our many unemployed and underemployed in this country.
  Well, for those who say it will not lower gas prices, I beg to 
differ. Certainly, there are studies in the past that have been flawed 
when they look at only the impact of Alaska in terms of what that would 
mean. But I would like to put forth some other numbers that are 
important and that is, if you open up the Outer Continental Shelf also, 
it has a big impact.
  Right now, we import perhaps 60 percent or more of our oil. Some of 
that

[[Page 2491]]

comes from Canada and Mexico, our North American neighbors; but much of 
that oil also comes from OPEC nations. Further, OPEC has stated time 
and time again they would like to see gasoline and oil prices go up so 
much that oil is at $200 a barrel. It's critical for their economies. 
And when OPEC leaders get together, it also includes some countries 
that are not very friendly to us, such as Iran and Venezuela, and other 
countries which we have defended with our blood and treasure over the 
years, which has cost us more. But look at this, in terms of 
international policy, of using our own oil versus OPEC.
  In 2011, our trade deficit with OPEC was $127 billion. In 2010, it 
was $96 billion. In 2009, it was $62 billion. And in 2008, the last 
time we had a big oil price jump, it was $177 billion. That means we're 
buying more oil from OPEC than they're buying of our own goods. But it 
goes beyond that. There is also the cost of blood.
  In our first Iraq war in Desert Storm, one Army group in my district, 
the Quartermaster Unit, was hit by a scud missile, and it killed many 
of those soldiers. How do you put a price on that cost of war? And 
clearly we are battling Iraq because they also invaded Kuwait and were 
attempting to control more oil fields in the market. Yes, it was about 
dealing with Saddam Hussein; but, yes, it was also about dealing with 
control of oil.
  Look what we're doing now with the costs--patrolling the Strait of 
Hormuz with our 5th and 6th Navy Fleet out there to patrol the 
Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf to make sure Iran doesn't cut off 
world oil supplies and cause more problems.
  But look also at the lives cost in the Iraq war in Operation Iraqi 
Freedom. Sixty-three Pennsylvanians have been killed, including many 
from my own district, whose lives were lost defending our causes in 
Iraq. There are also, in Pennsylvania, 553 wounded. But overall, 4,484 
have died up to 2011 in Operation Iraqi Freedom--Americans. 
Pennsylvania has certainly paid a high price on that; but also know 
between 224,000 and 258,000 civilians were killed in Iraq directly from 
warfare.
  Now, although other countries may have paid us back in dollars for 
what we spent in first Desert Storm, gulf war, we are bearing the costs 
of Operation Iraqi freedom. And we can never, ever return to the 
families the lives of their loved ones, their wives and sons and 
daughters and mothers.
  Let's remember that opening up our own oil fields in America is not 
just about paying the price for families and what it cost them, but 
also making sure we know we will never have to pay again the price of 
blood. That reason and that reason alone is enough to say let's be 
drilling for our own oil.

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