[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 160 (2014), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 13083-13084]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                          SAFE CLIMATE CAUCUS

  (Mr. HOLT asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. HOLT. Madam Speaker, the Department of the Interior recently 
began the process of developing an offshore oil and gas leasing program 
for 2017 to 2022.
  However, the development of a 5-year program isn't simply about which

[[Page 13084]]

areas should be leased and drilled and which should not. It is about 
whether drilling in new offshore fields is the way of the future.
  As a member of the Safe Climate Caucus, I am here to ask: How will we 
address the imminent and multiple threats of climate change resulting 
from our overdependence on carbon fossil fuels?
  We could double down or triple or quadruple down on the energy 
sources of the last two centuries, or we could take steps to reduce our 
dependence on fossil fuels and have a sustainable energy future.
  The last few years have seen tremendous progress in harvesting the 
renewable energy potential of our oceans. We should oppose the unwise 
expansion of offshore oil and gas leasing and drilling.

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