IV 

110TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. RES. 1282 

Encouraging the President to revoke the Executive memorandum banning 

energy production on America’s Outer Continental Shelf. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 18, 2008 

Mr. TIM MURPHY of Pennsylvania submitted the following resolution; which 

was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 

RESOLUTION 

Encouraging the President to revoke the Executive memorandum banning energy production on America’s Outer 

Continental Shelf. 

Whereas the average price of gasoline was $2.33 at the beginning of the 110th Congress and since that time the average price of gasoline has risen as much as 74 percent; 

Whereas families of all income levels are deeply affected by 

the rising prices, with low income and fixed income 

households being hurt the most from rising food and energy prices; 

Whereas the increased cost of fuel for manufacturing and 

transportation has negatively impacted the ability of 

American employers to compete with the price of products made in other countries and in many instances the 


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•HRES 1282 IH 

higher prices are forcing businesses to locate some or all 

of their production overseas; 

Whereas the United States imports 2.2 billion barrels of 

crude oil per year from nations in the Organization of 

Petroleum Exporting Counties (OPEC); 

Whereas the economy and the national security of the United 

States are threatened by our reliance on OPEC and that 

the United States should never relinquish control of its 

economic security and national security to other nations; 

Whereas the United States has abundant energy resources on 

the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), and has developed a 

comprehensive framework of environmental laws and regulations and fostered the development of state-of-the-art 

technology that allows for the responsible development of 

these resources for the benefit of its citizenry; 

Whereas the Minerals Management Service estimates the 

American OCS contains at least 86 billion barrels of oil 

and 420 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, although much 

of that area is currently blocked from exploration or surveying, thereby inhibiting a more comprehensive assessment of energy reserves; 

Whereas Cuba has extended the option to many nations, including China, to obtain oil and gas leases as close as 50 

miles off the coast of Florida while current United States 

policy prohibits oil exploration as far as 200 miles off the 

coast of the United States; 

Whereas several countries, including the United Kingdom, 

Brazil, Ireland, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Japan, 

and Norway, allow exploration along their OCS; 

Whereas, on May 13, 2008, the House of Representatives 

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•HRES 1282 IH 

tegic Petroleum Reserve, thereby agreeing that the supply of oil is linked to the price of gasoline; 

Whereas 67 percent of the American people support more 

American-made energy by revoking leasing restrictions on 

the OCS; 

Whereas section 12 of the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act 

permits the President to prohibit energy exploration off 

our coasts; 

Whereas an Executive moratorium last extended in 1998 by 

President Clinton prohibits the development of our resources until 2012; and 

Whereas the President of the United States may revoke this 

prohibition: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 

2 (1) encourages the President to revoke the Ex3 ecutive memorandum banning energy production on 

4 the United States Outer Continental Shelf; and 

5 (2) urges the President to work with Congress 

6 to increase the production of American energy. 

Æ 


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