On the recordJune 10, 2010
I thank my colleague from New Jersey. Again, I thank him so much for his participation tonight and for his leadership, especially in leading us in a legislative remedy. I want to end with this: on June 10, 2008, one of our colleagues actually said the following: There are 3,200 oil rigs off the coast of Louisiana. During Katrina, not a single drop was spilled. Actually, 600,000 gallons were spilled, but more than 7 billion barrels have been pumped from these wells over the past quarter century. Yet only 1-1/1000th of 1 percent was spilled. We would suggest that John McCain revisit his reservations about ANWR and run against the ``drill nothing'' Congress. Energy development and the environment are not mutually exclusive. In fact, this Republican colleague said, we would suggest that the first joint town hall meeting with Barack Obama, proposed by McCain, be held on one of those offshore Louisiana rigs. Surely, I hope our colleague did not mean this rig, the one that blew up, caught on fire, cost a number of lives, and led to the largest environmental disaster in American history. Mr. Speaker, I yield back. ____________________
