December 1, 2007
Contact: Robin Winchell 202-225-4031

WASHINGTON, DC - U.S. Rep. Charlie Melancon commented today on the announcement that the House of Representatives will vote next week on passage of the Domenici-Landrieu Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act (S. 3711).  The Senate bill opens 8.3 million acres of the Gulf of Mexico to new oil and gas production, and shares 37.5 percent of the federal revenues generated with Gulf Coast energy-producing states, including Louisiana, for coastal hurricane protection, wetlands restoration and flood control projects.

"I am elated that the House will get the chance to vote on an OCS revenue sharing bill next week.  After 50 years of getting the short end of the stick when it comes to offshore royalties, Louisiana may finally get a significant share of the revenue generated by our energy-producing coast," said Melancon.  "This bill is not as generous to Louisiana as the DOER Act I worked to get passed in the House last June.  However, Senator Landrieu's bill will nonetheless give us hundreds of millions of dollars in new, reliable funding so we can finally restore our coastal wetlands and protect our people and communities from future hurricanes.  Louisiana has waited fifty years for our fair share of offshore oil and gas revenues, and we must not let this opportunity pass us by."

In June, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 4761, the Deep Ocean Energy Resources (DOER) Act, a bipartisan bill expanding offshore oil and gas drilling and providing Louisiana and other coastal states with a significant share of royalties from drilling off their coasts.  Melancon and other leading members of the House Resources Committee had negotiated the comprehensive DOER Act from the more than two dozen outer-continental shelf-related bills introduced this Congress.

Melancon was instrumental in building support among Democratic members of Congress for the DOER Act, providing the bill's margin of victory by convincing 39 fellow House Democrats to vote with him in favor of the legislation.  Both the Senate and House bills provide significant new funding for Louisiana's hurricane protection and coastal restoration system.    

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