Harry Reid: “I think the time has come that we don't let his statements go without giving the facts from the other side. What are…”

“I think the time has come that we don't let his statements go without giving the facts from the other side. What are some of those facts? Let's talk about production of oil in Alaska. In 1999, the Clinton-Gore administration offered tracts on nearly 4 million acres of land in the national petroleum reserve in Alaska, to the west of Prudhoe Bay, for oil and gas leasing. Oil companies with winning bids will pay-- This is a staggering figure, but it is to show that we in this administration have had an energy policy, as we all know. Oil companies with winning bids will pay $104,635,728 for leases in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska. A total of 425 tracts on approximately 3.9 million acres were offered by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management in today's lease sale, the first such sale for the reserve since 1984. It is important we recognize that there is an energy policy and, as indicated, this is the first sale for the reserve since 1984. Six oil companies submitted 174 bids on 133 tracts. The oil industry should explore and develop the Alaskan Petroleum Reserve before there is any suggestion of opening the sensitive lands of the wildlife refuge to development.”