C. W. Bill Young: “25 years ago, I stood at this very microphone at this very desk and offered the amendment that initiated the first Outer…”

“25 years ago, I stood at this very microphone at this very desk and offered the amendment that initiated the first Outer Continental Shelf moratorium dealing with drilling for oil and gas. Over the years, that 25-year period, working with industry, working with the Federal Government, working with the State government and working with the Congress, we have evolved a program that has worked. During that time we have opened up some of the areas for exploration and for drilling. During that time we have also bought back some of the leases that were environmentally threatening. This amendment that was added in the appropriations committee, the so-called Peterson amendment, happened without any hearings on the part of the subcommittee, no hearings on the part of the appropriations committee, and now we are trying to do something about that, at least give us time to work with our own House committee that has been working diligently for the last 6 to 8 months on trying to come up with a proper type of moratorium. We should not allow this language, the so-called Peterson amendment, to stay in this bill today. We should continue the work with the House committee that is already working on it and try to maintain the environmental protection that is so important to so many areas of the waters in and around the United States of America. As I said, this moratorium has been here for 25 years. It has evolved during that time. It has worked extremely well.…”