Political Quotes

“Mr. Chairman, this amendment consolidates 17 Democrat amendments and one Republican amendment. Inside this lengthy amendment are a number of significant changes to oil and gas policies, royalties, collections, and studies. That might be fine, but I am not aware that any of these provisions have been subject to hearings in our Committee on Natural Resources, and I think that we should certainly have a better understanding of the impacts before we pass this on the House floor. I want to point out two provisions in this amendment. There is one provision stripping biomass from the regulation from the bureau. Now this, I think, is a fine amendment, but I think it would have been better accomplished if we had simply made in order the Lummis amendment. The gentlelady from Wyoming had an amendment to take out all of the language on onshore activity. That would have been a much, much better way to do it, especially in light of the fact that the administration in this regard says that, and I quote, It would be most effective if this reorganization focused exclusively on the OCS at this time, end quote. But, of course, that wasn't done. So this is, I suppose, a small victory. The second, however, is a much more insidious amendment that includes a cumulative impact of oil and gas on marine mammals. Now I don't know exactly--and I don't think anybody really knows--how to measure what those impacts are, plus or minus, good or bad.”