Bruce Westerman: “I thank the gentleman from Alaska for yielding. Mr. Chairman, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle proclaim that…”

“I thank the gentleman from Alaska for yielding. Mr. Chairman, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle proclaim that they are concerned about the environment, but that does not mean that I am not concerned about the environment or that my colleagues on this side of the aisle are not concerned about the environment. One of our earliest and most recognized conservationists, Gifford Pinchot, stated that when conflicting interests must be resolved that we should strive to do the greatest good for the greatest number for the long run. Pinchot also wrote that conservation is the application of common sense to the common problems for the common good. Mr. Chairman, this bill today lacks common sense. I have been to the North Slope of Alaska. We can develop clean, safe, low-cost energy in the world and conserve our public lands and the environment. I would argue that because of our technology and innovation and using clean fuels like natural gas that has allowed the United States to decrease our global greenhouse gas emissions more than any other country in the world. As we look at this bill today, and we look at the history of what has happened, in 1980 a Democratic-held Congress passed the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act, and President Carter signed it into law. That act set aside more than 1.5 million acres for responsible oil and gas development in ANWR itself, nearly 20 million acres in total.…”