Bill Nelson: “under the chairman and ranking member's leadership, the Energy and Natural Resources Committee produced an energy bill…”

“under the chairman and ranking member's leadership, the Energy and Natural Resources Committee produced an energy bill that passed out of the committee by a vote of 21 to 1. It is a bill that has a lot going for it. I continue to have concerns about it, including a major concern about a provision that requires an inventory of oil and gas reserves in the Outer Continental Shelf, which my colleague from Florida and I will attempt to remove. And I am aware of other important amendments that will be offered by my colleagues to improve the bill. But I want to indicate to the distinguished chairman that I think he has gotten his bill off to a good start. However, the progress of this bill would be jeopardized if we begin to debate amendments that would change the status quo with respect to the sale of leases for oil and gas drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf. Vast areas of the Outer Continental Shelf are under moratoria for oil and gas drilling, and other extremely sensitive areas, such as Lease Sale 181 in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico off of Florida, have been made unavailable for leasing by the Department of the Interior. I am aware that there are differences of view among my colleagues on how we should proceed with respect to the Outer Continental Shelf.…”