Offshore Production and Safety Act of 2011 - Motion to Proceed

Floor Speech

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Mr. WICKER. Mr. President, I rise today in support of the Offshore Production and Safety Act, a measure to increase domestic production of oil and natural gas in this country.

There are any number of things that make the United States the great Nation it is. Three of these things relate directly to the debate on the legislation that we will vote on this afternoon. They include our bountiful natural resources, the freedoms established by our Founding Fathers, and the determination of the American people.

The measure offered by the majority yesterday would have worked to stifle these very characteristics by discouraging economic activity, taxing industriousness, and putting more of our resources off-limits for development. From the oil wealth of the gulf coast, to the coal reserves of Appalachia, from the hydroelectric power that characterizes much of the American West, to the oilfields of Alaska, America is blessed with an almost boundless supply of energy wealth. From the time of this Nation's founding, Americans have sought to explore and develop this bounty. I am pleased to note that in recent decades we have become more responsible stewards of this endowment.

Last night, I held a telephone townhall meeting with many of my constituents, and the issues of gasoline prices and energy independence were raised repeatedly. It is certainly not surprising in light of the high gasoline prices we are facing today. As I told Mississippians again last night during this townhall meeting that I favor an all-of-the-above approach to addressing America's energy needs. I have supported, and continue to support, innovation in the area of biofuels, geothermal power, wind, and solar energy.

At the same time, however, we need to address current needs with currently available domestic energy resources, such as oil and natural gas. The measure we debate today, the Offshore Production and Safety Act, is a balanced one that offers a timely way forward by presenting a path toward lower fuel prices, job creation, and energy independence.

This legislation is responsive to the needs of the American people, not at some uncertain date in the future but now, making use of the resources and technology available today.

The specifics of the legislation before us are straightforward and commonsense. This bill would require proposed lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico, in the Mid-Atlantic, and those off of Alaska to be completed. It would cut bureaucratic redtape while speeding up the approval of drilling permits. Energy activities suspended during the administration's moratorium on offshore drilling would be extended by 1 year. Safety considerations are also taken into account under this bill, taking lessons that we learned from last year's Deepwater Horizon tragedy, to make deepwater drilling safer than before.

Energy independence--a goal we all share--can only be achieved through conservation, innovation, and domestic exploration, but domestic exploration must be a part of this in order for us to obtain independence.

According to a 2009 report by the CRS, America's combined recoverable natural gas, oil, and coal endowment is the largest on Earth. It is far larger than the reserves of Saudi Arabia, China, and Canada. We have the resources to meet our energy needs. I point out again that this is the independent Congressional Research Service that tells us this.

Closely related to this issue is the one of job creation in America--one that we should all be interested in with the unemployment rate currently at 9 percent. America's oil and natural gas industry is responsible for 9.2 million jobs in this country. I know the people who have those jobs are proud to have them. I know the families who are supported by those jobs are proud of their family members who work in this industry. Wouldn't it be great if we can expand that 9.2 million to a higher figure?

There was much discussion yesterday about taxation and budget considerations. Oil and natural gas production in the Gulf of Mexico raised over $67 million in revenues for the Federal and State governments in fiscal years 2008 through 2010. That is according to the Department of the Interior. Millions more went to land and water conservation. But because of the administration's moratorium, energy production in the Gulf of Mexico is expected to decrease by 13 percent this year, as estimated by the Energy Information Administration. Again, that is an official organ of this government. Overall, U.S. production is projected to drop by 110,000 barrels per day this year. This is not progress.

The fact is, the United States is dangerously dependent on foreign sources for our energy needs. We import 60 percent of our petroleum needs in the United States. This is hardly a revelation. Yet the proposed bill offered by my friends in the majority would have led to increased dependence on the importation of energy from foreign countries, many of which are not supportive of American interests, to put it mildly.

Furthermore, the suggestion that the appropriate response to soaring prices of gasoline is greater taxation on the companies that produce gasoline simply runs counter to common sense. In the larger picture, the administration's energy policy is not comprehensive in nature because it fails to promote the utilization of proven domestic resources, and the traditional domestic production it allows comes wrapped in bureaucratic redtape. If our goal is to increase our energy independence in the near term, the White House seems to want to lead us in the opposite direction. We do not encourage the increased production of any good by raising taxes and imposing more regulations on it.

The McConnell alternative, which we will vote on this afternoon, takes a different strategy--one that would increase access to domestic oil and natural gas. It is a strategy that would create jobs and spur economic growth, while increasing government revenues and improving industry safety.

Oil and natural gas reserves are abundant and accessible in the United States today. Tapping these domestic resources is integral to lowering energy prices and making us more energy independent.

I urge my colleagues to support the Offshore Production and Safety Act as a logical, prudent step in the right direction for U.S. energy policy.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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