Ken Calvert: “I am not going to oppose the amendment. I certainly appreciate what the gentleman is trying to accomplish and generally…”

“I am not going to oppose the amendment. I certainly appreciate what the gentleman is trying to accomplish and generally agree that this administration has placed way too many restrictions on drilling, both onshore and offshore. These restrictions have delayed the permitting process and slowed economic growth in your State and many other States around the Union. Various groups have used that to their advantage. I agree that more certainty is needed in the leasing and permitting process. What I am afraid of is this might lead to a precedent for preempting the Department of the Interior's decisionmaking under any President, and may lead to other amendments and kind of opening Pandora's box, and Members doing specific amendments that are off their particular States. Saying that, as we move this process forward, I am not going to oppose the amendment, but I just have some concerns we can talk about as we move this process along. We both want the same outcome. I just want to make sure that we make sure this works in an orderly fashion.”