Political Quotes

“I watched the debate with a great deal of interest. I can only think of the amendment a little while ago that was offered by the Senator from Illinois. The Minerals Management Service has been working on this lease sale for quite a while, and includes the current 5-year Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Program. This was put on the table under the Clinton administration. The service prepared the draft EIS. They have ensured that the proper public hearings have taken place, including the hearings in Pensacola, Tallahassee, and Mobile. But despite the fact that service has jumped through all of the required administrative hoops, some opponents are now trying to foul the whole thing up in the end game right before the lease, of course, is finalized. When we take a look at the Land and Water Conservation Fund, it is interesting that Members who have been leaning towards voting for this amendment are the same Members who have submitted healthy requests for money out of that Land and Water Conservation Fund for some of their projects. It is also interesting to note that in this very bill, Florida has approximately $42 million in items that are funded under the Land and Water Conservation Fund. It is likely that State has been the single largest draw on the Land and Water Conservation Fund in the last 5 years. That money is derived from royalties from offshore drilling and production.”