Frank Pallone: “Again, I don't know how to characterize this but to say it is extreme. The gentlewoman's amendment would provide an even…”

“Again, I don't know how to characterize this but to say it is extreme. The gentlewoman's amendment would provide an even bigger handout to Big Oil, trading away our precious Federal lands. Now, just so we understand, right now, there is a limitation in the underlying bill which, of course, we still oppose because the underlying bill says that the plan--in other words, I think we all know that this underlying bill says: You can't use the Strategic Petroleum Reserve unless you open up more Federal or public lands to oil and gas drillings. But it does have a cap that says the plan required shall not provide for a total increase in the percentage of Federal lands described, lease for oil and gas, in excess of 10 percent. Let me just give you an idea. In the underlying bill, it could result in over 300 million acres of Federal lands being opened up for new oil and gas drilling, an area equivalent to three times the size of California and eight times the amount of Federal lands and waters currently available for oil and gas development. But the gentlewoman from Colorado says that is not good enough. The government has to allow for another 5 percent beyond that, another 50 percent more than what I described in order for us to use the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Again, the fossil fuel industry already controls large portions of U.S. public lands and waters, and it isn't using most of it.…”