Jeff Bingaman

I appreciate the opportunity to appear before you today to speak in favor of S. 1689, The Organ Mountains--Desert Peaks Wilderness Act.

I stand ready for any questions, Mr. Chairman.

Oil and gas activities generate, on a per acre basis, some 5-10 times the revenue as would be expected from wind or solar energy development.

Creating a corps of agency staff whose sole responsibility is evaluating renewable energy applications should improve the efficiency.

H.R. 2662 would provide renewable energy with a benefit the oil and gas industry already enjoys.

I think that serves to underscore my point.

Are there policy choices we can make to increase the supply of high-quality domestic offsets?

EPA projections have indicated that there will be a very limited supply of offsets coming from projects based in the U.S.

If there was a strong, meaningful, bipartisan, political coalition advancing a serious tax proposal it would garner a lot of steam.

Many members are currently absorbed by the health care debate, but it is important to continue to make progress on this issue as well.

It requires that we find a way to reinvent our energy infrastructure.

Global climate change is one of the most consequential and difficult problems that we face in this Congress.

Thank you Senator Bingaman, for all you do to support and enhance the Natural Resources of the United States.

We believe this legislation, coupled with the funding outlined in the President's 2010 budget will stop the decline.

The President, President Obama has called for a full and honest accounting of the money we plan to spend.

I want the Forest Service to have new tools to get out in front of the problem and prevent our forest lands and the taxpayers from getting burned.

The Hardrock Mining and Reclamation Act of 2009, comes up for consideration.

We urge the Committee to significantly reform the 1872 Mining Law to stop the Rosemont and other ill conceived and inappropriate mine proposals.

The Bingaman bill takes a step forward by applying a standard to all federal lands that land managers must prevent 'unnecessary or undue degradation' resulting from mining.

We urge the committee to pass comprehensive mining reform.

Both S. 796 and S. 140 introduced by Senator Feinstein will create economic opportunities for rural communities throughout the United States.

Provisions in the bills will increase our Nation's dependence on foreign minerals-an outcome that will weaken our defense.

In this age of increasing water scarcity why in the world would Congress agree to open a spigot of polluted water?

That creates a distrust in what the Federal Government is doing with respect to the stewardship and ownership of the public lands that we have.

S. 796 adds regulatory uncertainty that will undermine U.S. competitiveness and threatens thousands of high-paying mining jobs.