Byron Dorgan: “I wish to talk some about energy. I know the President, this morning, my colleague, Senator McCain, and others have…”

“I wish to talk some about energy. I know the President, this morning, my colleague, Senator McCain, and others have talked a lot today about additional production. I am one of the four Senators who initiated in this body several years ago, along with Senator Bingaman, Senator Domenici, and Senator Talent, the legislation that is now law that opened lease 181 in the Gulf of Mexico, where there are substantial oil and gas reserves. We opened that up on a bipartisan basis. In addition to cosponsoring that legislation, I have also introduced legislation that would open more of the eastern Gulf of Mexico. I think it is a smart thing to do. Let me say that the refrain today coming from the President and some others is: Just drill, drill, drill--believing the only way to produce more energy is to sink a hole someplace. There are a lot of ways to produce energy in addition to drilling. We do need more production. We need more conservation. We need efficiency. We need renewable forms of energy. We need all of those things. But the discussion today is: Well, if we could just drill in ANWR--one of the pristine areas of our country that was set aside in legislation signed by Dwight D. Eisenhower as President of the United States--that 10 years from now we may have some oil, I guess. Let me make another suggestion. How about allowing U.S. companies access for drilling off the coast of Cuba? India is interested in doing that. Canada is there. Spain is there. But U.S.…”