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 memo-
randum banning energy production on America’s Outer 
Continental Shelf. 
Whereas the average price of gasoline was $2.33 at the begin-
ning of the 110th Congress and since that time the aver-
age 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 en-
ergy 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 prod-
ucts 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 reg-
ulations 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 sur-
veying, thereby inhibiting a more comprehensive assess-
ment of energy reserves; 
Whereas Cuba has extended the option to many nations, in-
cluding 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 
passed legislation to suspend contributions to the Stra-
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•HRES 1282 IH 
tegic Petroleum Reserve, thereby agreeing that the sup-
ply 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 re-
sources until 2012; and 
Whereas the President of the United States may revoke this 
prohibition: Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
(1) encourages the President to revoke the Ex-
ecutive memorandum banning energy production on 
the United States Outer Continental Shelf; and 
(2) urges the President to work with Congress 
to increase the production of American energy. 
Æ 
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