Deep Ocean Energy Resources Act of 2006
DEEP OCEAN ENERGY RESOURCES ACT OF 2006 -- (House of Representatives - June 29, 2006)
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Mr. MARIO DIAZ-BALART of Florida. Mr. Chairman, because I firmly oppose drilling for oil off the coasts of Florida, I believe that it is critical that a permanent, State-controlled ban on drilling around the entire state becomes law a soon as possible. This is why I believe the Pombo-Putnam compromise in H.R. 4761, the Domestic Energy Production Through Offshore Exploration and Equitable Treatment of State Holdings Act of 2006, is essential in order to protect Florida's beaches.
The Pombo-Putnam compromise would allow Florida to prohibit drilling for 100 miles. In negotiations with the legislation's authors and in the House Rules Committee, I worked to further protect Florida's environmental treasures. As successfully amended, the compromise would also codify the ban on drilling within the ``military mission line''--approximately 234 miles from Tampa--to provide even more protection for Florida's west coast.
This plan, in many ways, is better than a bill that the Florida delegation almost unanimously cosponsored in 1997. That bipartisan legislation sought to prohibit any leasing or drilling within 100 miles of Florida's coasts, but did not include the added protection provided by the ``military mission line.'' It also lacked the factor of State control of the drilling issue. Former Governor Lawton Chiles also supported, in writing, a 100-mile ban on drilling.
Presently, Florida's only protections against offshore oil drilling reside with an expiring Presidential promise (known as the ``moratoria'') and a year-to-year appropriations limitation amendment--a technical legislative maneuver that prohibits Federal funds from being used to conduct offshore leasing.
The stark reality Florida faces is not only the expiring ``moratoria,'' but also a strong push in Congress to allow drilling as close as 20 miles from our shores. On May 18 of this year, the House passed an amendment by a close 217-203 vote to prevent drilling as close as 3 miles from Florida's east coast and 9 miles from Florida's west coast. Eight cosponsors of a bill (H.R. 4318) to allow drilling just 20 miles off Florida's coasts voted for this amendment because they felt that 3 miles was just too close. Had those eight cosponsors voted against that amendment, the vote would have been lost 211-209, and drilling would have been allowed as close as 3 miles from Florida's coast. Although they voted for this particular amendment, our colleagues assured us that they would vote in favor of legislation to allow drilling at 20 miles. Instead of relying on votes from over 400 Congressmen from outside of Florida, I support placing the fate of Florida's beaches in the hands of Floridians.
In 2005, congressional passage of a plan was possible that would have permanently banned drilling within 125 miles of our beaches. On June 29, 2006, we learned, by a vote of 65 to 353, that a majority in Congress no longer supports a 125-mile ban. Last year's offer of 125 miles has now been reduced to 100 miles from our coastline. The next step could very well be a horrible 20 miles. As a strong opponent of drilling, I believe that our window of opportunity in Congress for a permanent ban on offshore drilling is closing. This is why I support the Pombo-Putnam compromise.
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