It is the Republican Majority that is blocking access to the real resources American people need right now.

Rather than balancing our budget on the backs of seniors and millions of Americans who are struggling, we should be ensuring that oil companies are paying their fair share.

I will continue to monitor the progress the industry makes in developing its response capabilities, and ensure that the Interior Department is holding the industry to the highest safety standards in this sensitive area.

Enough is enough. Rather than balancing our budget on the backs of our seniors and millions of Americans who are struggling, we should be ensuring that oil companies are paying their fair share.

My legislation would reduce the deficit by nearly $19 billion over the next 10 years just by ending taxpayer-funded giveaways for these companies.

the Interior Department has offered more than 39,000 tracts to oil companies to drill.

Mr. Secretary, when the Department released its five-year offshore drilling plan, The New York Times reported that, 'David Hayes, the Deputy Interior Secretary, acknowledged that the infrastructure did not now exist to prevent or respond…

The Arctic sales are scheduled late in the five-year period to facilitate further scientific study and data collection and longer term planning for spill response preparedness and infrastructure.

I am concerned that the plan does include new lease sales off of Alaska even though the oil industry has not effectively proven that they can respond to a spill in the icy, harsh conditions offshore in the Arctic.

We will not be able to continue to meet our country's energy and economic needs if restrictive policies are imposed.

Over the past 10 years in the leasing of the last 10 leases in the Gulf of Mexico dating back to August of 2005, the Interior Department has offered more than 39,000 tracts to oil companies to drill.