[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 3]
[House]
[Page 4129]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




   COMMENDING PRESIDENT OBAMA'S COMMITMENT TO DOMESTIC OIL PRODUCTION

  (Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. FALEOMAVAEGA. Madam Speaker, rising gas prices are hitting 
families hard, adding to what is already a tough economic situation for 
our citizens across the Nation.
  That is why I commend President Obama for his all-of-the-above energy 
strategy, which includes a strong commitment to domestic oil 
production. Oil and gas development has increased in every year of the 
Obama administration, and domestic oil production is now at an 8-year 
high. Furthermore, our foreign dependence on oil is at a 16-year low. 
Last year, we cut net oil and petroleum imports by 1 million barrels a 
day.
  President Obama has also offered millions of acres of land for lease 
and has improved safety measures to prevent future spills. The 
President has also proposed opening up more undiscovered offshore oil 
and gas resources for development in the Gulf of Mexico.
  I thank President Obama for his leadership in increasing oil 
production so that our Nation, our country, will depend less on 
imported foreign oil.

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