Douglas Alexander: “My amendment limits the encouragement of the development of natural gas resources beneath the Outer Continental Shelf to…”

“My amendment limits the encouragement of the development of natural gas resources beneath the Outer Continental Shelf to the coastline, off the coastline of the State of Virginia. Madam President, the estimates are that this year 400 billion American dollars are going overseas to buy oil. This amendment has some conservation measures in it, but it also allows us to proceed with the Department of Interior to develop oil from oil shale in the western part of the United States. It allows Virginia, which has asked to do it, to explore for natural gas off the coastline of Virginia. A ``yes'' vote is to bring down $3.50 gasoline prices. The supply of oil and gas is important if we want to bring down the price of oil and gas to Americans and make us less dependent upon foreign oil.”