FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 14, 2007
CONTACT: Geoff Embler or Matt Mackowiak
Sen. Hutchison Condemns Senate Failure to Increase Natural Gas Supply
Common-Sense Amendment to Energy Bill Fails Senate Vote 43-44
WASHINGTON -- U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), Chairman of the Republican Policy Committee, today expressed disappointment that the Warner amendment (#1566) to the energy bill failed to be passed by the Senate on a vote of 43-44. The amendment, offered by Sen. John Warner (R-VA), sought to authorize the Governor of Virginia to petition to the Secretary of the Interior to conduct natural gas exploration and production 50 miles beyond the Virginia coast.
“The Senate missed an opportunity to increase domestic supply with the Warner amendment,” said Sen. Hutchison. “It would have served as an example for other states to increase production. I am disappointed the Senate did not pass this common-sense amendment which would have required approval by Virginia’s legislature before any exploration occurred. If America is ever going to be energy independent we must increase domestic production.”
The amendment requires the Virginia state legislature to enact legislation supporting such an effort before the Interior Secretary can approve or disapprove the petition for either exploration or production.
The revenue sharing in the amendment would have provided 50% of the revenue to the U.S. Treasury, 37.5% to the Commonwealth of Virginia, 6.25% to the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and 6.25% to a reserve fund to be used for any extraction damage.
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