Alan Lowenthal: “I just, in closing, would like to make a few statements that kind of reiterate what has already been said, I think so…”

“I just, in closing, would like to make a few statements that kind of reiterate what has already been said, I think so well, and how we must protect our coast. Right now, the United States produces, in totality, 12.3 million barrels of oil a day--crude oil, each and every day. It is an all-time U.S. record. We have done that in 2018, and we lead the world now in terms of export production. Of that 12.3 million, we export over 3 million barrels of crude oil a day. It is more than is exported from all the other nations of the world, except for two OPEC nations. We are the number one producer of natural gas. We are a net exporter of natural gas, but we also say we do--by not opening up the Atlantic and the Pacific, we are not putting this tremendous resource of oil development at risk. Right now, in the Gulf, open for development in the future, we normally put up almost 80 million acres in the Gulf for leasing each year. Right now over 72 percent of the potential Gulf that is open for oil and gas development, 72 percent has not yet been developed. There is an estimated 43 billion barrels of oil in the Gulf yet to be discovered and produced. There is enough oil there for the next 66 years of production at the same level that we have today. We must protect our coast. We must protect the future. Mr. Chair, I urge swift adoption of H.R. 1941, and I yield back the remainder of my time. Mr. McCAUL. Mr.…”