The Deepwater Horizon Tragedy

Floor Speech

* Mr. COHEN. Madam Speaker, nearly 1 month after the Deepwater Horizon oil spill began on April 20, oil continues to flow from the well, poisoning the Gulf and destroying the environment. The Deepwater Horizon Rig activities were considered by all to be a low risk drilling exploration. Such a classification sends chills up my spine given the countless riskier drilling ventures occurring along the coasts of this great Nation.

* While millions of Americans tune into the news to watch the destruction of the Gulf Coast, the environment, and the economy of that area, I think of the thoughtless, baseless, and cavalier Republican energy chants ``Drill Baby Drill.'' It echoes in the ears of the American public and anybody who cares about the Gulf Coast. Drill Baby Drill--what a farfetched plan given that the U.S. contains 2.2 percent of world oil reserves and consumes 25.9 percent of the world's oil consumption. You do not have to be a math scholar or a Nobel Prize economist to see the flaws of this strategy.

* We need to find alternative forms of energy. We must use America's great resource and brainpower to harness the sun and to harness the wind. We must find new ways to help us with our problems of energy which will reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, protect our environment, and safeguard the flora and fauna.

* We will never be able to drill our way to energy independence. Rather than invoking our brawn, we must utilize our brains and innovate, as Americans have done for generations. Rather than throwing our limited Federal dollars at the feet of oil giants, let's invest in American ingenuity and create an American clean energy economy. Rather than sucking out every last drop of oil and coal beneath the earth's surface destroying the air we breathe and water we drink, let's utilize renewable energy sources like solar and wind that enhance our environment.

* The choice is clear--we can drill our way further into environmental destruction and oil dependence, or we can create a new energy economy that creates millions of jobs and protects the environment for future generations.

* Recently I introduced legislation that will do just that--the 10 Million Solar Roofs and 10 Million Gallons of Solar Water Heating Act. This legislation will create an estimated 1.35 million direct and indirect jobs, lower energy costs, strengthen the economy, and put America on the path to energy independence.

* Madam Speaker, we have to find a new direction and be like America has been in the past, innovative and creative.

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