IV 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. RES. 788 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that Arctic lease sales 
which are already included in the Draft Proposed Plan must stay in 
the proposed 2017-2022 Outer Continental Shelf Oil & Gas Leasing 
Program. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 15, 2016 
Mr. NUNES submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the 
Committee on Natural Resources 
RESOLUTION 
Expressing the sense of the House of Representatives that 
Arctic lease sales which are already included in the Draft 
Proposed Plan must stay in the proposed 2017-2022 
Outer Continental Shelf Oil & Gas Leasing Program. 
Whereas the Department of the Interior is currently receiving 
comments on its proposed 2017-2022 Outer Continental 
Shelf Oil & Gas Leasing Program (the Proposed Pro-
gram); 
Whereas the House concurs with the Secretary of the Interior 
that the Proposed Program ‘‘is an important component 
of the President’s comprehensive energy strategy to allow 
for safe and responsible domestic oil and natural gas pro-
duction as a means to support economic growth and job 
creation, and enhance energy security’’; 
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•HRES 788 IH 
Whereas Congress in the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act 
states that ‘‘the outer Continental Shelf is a vital na-
tional resource reserve held by the Federal Government 
for the public, which should be made available for expedi-
tious and orderly development, subject to environmental 
safeguards, in a manner which is consistent with the 
maintenance of competition and other national needs’’; 
Whereas the Proposed Program envisions up to ten sales in 
the Gulf of Mexico and one in each of three areas off of 
Alaska, two of these in the Arctic; 
Whereas including Arctic lease sales in the Proposed Pro-
gram would provide an option for future Arctic lease 
sales; 
Whereas the U.S. Arctic is estimated to contain at least 34 
billion barrels of oil equivalent; 
Whereas the potential of our Nation’s Arctic resources is 
vast—and the safe and efficient development of these re-
sources is pivotal not only to local communities on the 
North Slope, but also to ensure our Nation stays on our 
path to energy independence and global energy leader-
ship; 
Whereas America’s Arctic has the resource potential to re-
verse the steady throughput decline of the Trans-Alaska 
Pipeline System (hereinafter in this resolution referred to 
as ‘‘TAPS’’), which is operating at only 25 percent of its 
potential and is continuing to decline; 
Whereas the continued decline of North Slope oil and de-
creasing throughput threatens the viability of TAPS, 
which, without more oil, will face significant operational 
challenges and eventually face premature shut down and 
decommissioning; 
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•HRES 788 IH 
Whereas the West Coast of the United States relies heavily 
on Alaskan oil and with declining production is relying 
more on imported sources; 
Whereas the Energy Information Administration expects the 
United States oil production to begin falling in the 2020s 
and continue declining through 2040; 
Whereas the National Petroleum Council has stated that ‘‘the 
long lead times necessary to bring on new crude oil pro-
duction from Alaska would coincide with a long-term ex-
pected decline of U.S. Lower 48 production’’; 
Whereas Arctic energy development will allow for critical re-
gional infrastructure including deep water ports, Arctic 
class vessels, and search and rescue capabilities with col-
lateral benefits for U.S. military operations in the region; 
Whereas energy security promotes national security by reduc-
ing U.S. dependence on the natural resources of hostile 
foreign regimes; 
Whereas the strategic significance of the Arctic is growing 
due to expanding geopolitical interests; 
Whereas Russia has been investing heavily in the region with 
a world-leading 40 icebreakers, new Arctic bases, air-
fields, and ports, and ambitious new energy development 
projects; 
Whereas China, calling itself a ‘‘near-Arctic’’ state, has been 
building new icebreakers and encouraging Chinese ship-
ping companies to use Arctic sea routes; 
Whereas the Arctic capabilities of the United States have 
dramatically declined and the United States only has two 
operational icebreakers; 
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•HRES 788 IH 
Whereas the United States Coast Guard has determined that 
the United States needs at least six new icebreakers for 
its future Arctic needs; 
Whereas excluding Arctic leases from the proposed plan 
would signal a U.S. withdrawal from the Arctic region at 
a time when U.S. leadership is needed to protect U.S. in-
terests; 
Whereas the November 2013 Department of Defense (DoD) 
Arctic Strategy states that DoD’s desired end-state for 
the Arctic is ‘‘a secure and stable region where U.S. na-
tional interests are safeguarded’’; 
Whereas the May 2013 ‘‘United States Coast Guard Arctic 
Strategy’’ states that ‘‘The United States is an Arctic 
nation with significant interests in the future of the re-
gion’’; 
Whereas a study published by the National Petroleum Coun-
cil in March 2015 found that ‘‘Most of the U.S. Arctic 
offshore conventional oil & gas potential can be developed 
using existing field-proven technology’’; 
Whereas offshore energy development is an important source 
of revenue into the Federal treasury, generating a record 
$18 billion in FY2008, of which $2.7 billion was from 
offshore leasing in Alaska alone; 
Whereas the national, the DoD, and Coast Guard strategies 
for the Arctic depend on government and private sector 
cooperation, including private investments in Arctic infra-
structure to leverage resources and expertise; and 
Whereas the overwhelming majority of Alaskans, including 
Alaska Native communities within the Arctic, support fu-
ture Arctic resource development: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
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•HRES 788 IH 
(1) reaffirms that America’s strategic options 
should not be constricted by exclusion of future Arc-
tic economic opportunities; and 
(2) strongly supports keeping Arctic lease sales 
as part of the new Proposed Program. 
Æ 
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