Joseph T. Burns: “today I join Senators Domenici, Bingaman, Talent and Dorgan in sponsorship of legislation instructing the Secretary of…”

“today I join Senators Domenici, Bingaman, Talent and Dorgan in sponsorship of legislation instructing the Secretary of the Interior to develop an oil and gas leasing program for Lease Area 181, located 100 miles off the coast of Florida in the Gulf of Mexico. As oil and natural gas prices continuously increase, many Americans, especially Montanans, are feeling the strain of increased prices for energy use in their homes and businesses. Montana ag producers are particularly hard hit because the costs of fuel and fertilizer have skyrocketed. While I strongly support the idea of renewable energies, it will take years of research and development before there are practicable and affordable alternatives to oil and natural gas. Development of the American-owned offshore Lease Area 181 would provide nearly 5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas as a near term solution for our country's growing energy needs. That amount would be enough to heat 5 million homes for 15 years. In order to strengthen American energy security, it is our obligation to use our own domestic resources whenever we can. Offshore drilling has proven to be a safe, reliable, and valuable technology for oil and gas production.…”