WASHINGTON, D.C.,
July 15, 2012 -
Background on H.R. 6082:
- On June 28, 2012, the Obama Administration announced its proposed final lease plan for developing the United States’ offshore energy resources from 2012-2017. Under section 18 of the Outer Continental Shelf Leasing Act, the President’s proposed five-year offshore drilling plan must be submitted to Congress for a mandatory 60-day review before it can become final and in effect.
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As part of the mandatory Congressional review, House Republicans will make clear that the President’s plan is unacceptable and will replace it with an environmentally responsible, robust plan that truly supports increased American energy and American jobs.
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President Obama’s No-New-Drilling, No-New-Jobs plan closes 85 percent of our offshore areas to energy production and opens no new areas for drilling. It’s a giant step backwards for American energy production and effectively re-imposes the drilling moratoria lifted in 2008 in response to over $4 gasoline prices.
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A report by the non-partisan Congressional Research Service confirms that the 15 lease sales in President Obama's plan represent the lowest number of lease sales ever offered in a plan since the process began in 1980.
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In stark contrast to President Obama’s plan, H.R. 6082 proposes a drill-smart, job-creation plan that expands offshore drilling and opens news areas containing the most oil and natural gas resources.
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The Congressional replacement plan will generate $600 million in revenues and create tens of thousands of American jobs.
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Specifically, H.R. 6082:
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Implements a new lease schedule for 29 lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico, Mid-Atlantic, Southern Pacific, and the Arctic.
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Provides for opening offshore Virginia to drilling, with the first of several lease sales starting in 2013. President Obama cancelled a lease sale off Virginia scheduled for 2011 and the President’s plan doesn’t allow energy production off Virginia until 2017 or later.
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Protects national defense and military operations.
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Provides for separate environmental reviews for each specific lease sale.
Proposed Lease Sale Schedule in H.R. 6082:
Sale No. |
Area |
Year |
229 |
Western Gulf of Mexico |
2012 |
220 |
Mid-Atlantic Sale (Virginia) |
2013 |
225 |
Eastern Gulf of Mexico* |
2013 |
227 |
Central Gulf of Mexico |
2013 |
249 |
So. Cal. Existing Infrastructure |
2013 |
233 |
Western Gulf of Mexico |
2013 |
244 |
Cook Inlet |
2013 |
212 |
Chukchi Sea |
2013 |
228 |
Southern California |
2014 |
230 |
Mid-Atlantic |
2014 |
231 |
Central Gulf of Mexico |
2014 |
238 |
Western Gulf of Mexico |
2014 |
242 |
Beaufort Sea |
2014 |
221 |
Chukchi Sea |
2014 |
245 |
Mid-Atlantic |
2015 |
232 |
North Atlantic |
2015 |
234 |
Eastern Gulf of Mexico* |
2015 |
235 |
Central Gulf of Mexico |
2015 |
246 |
Western Gulf |
2015 |
255 |
South Atlantic-South Carolina |
2015 |
237 |
Chukchi Sea |
2016 |
239 |
North Aleutian Basin |
2016 |
248 |
Western Gulf of Mexico |
2016 |
241 |
Central Gulf of Mexico |
2016 |
226 |
Eastern Gulf of Mexico* |
2016 |
217 |
Beaufort Sea |
2016 |
243 |
Southern California |
2017 |
250 |
Mid-Atlantic |
2017 |
247 |
Central Gulf |
2017 |
*Lease sales in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico are in a small area that is currently open for drilling. They do not include any areas currently under moratorium.
Offshore Areas Open for Drilling under H.R. 6082, the Congressional Replacement of President Obama’s Energy-Restricting and Job-Limiting Offshore Drilling Plan
![Click to enlarge image](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121109015451im_/http://naturalresources.house.gov/UploadedPhotos/HighResolution/bd665b0a-8959-4ef4-97d2-c3db49605c7a.jpg)
Offshore Areas Blocked for Drilling under President Obama’s Proposed Final 2012-2017 Plan
![Click to enlarge image](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121109015451im_/http://naturalresources.house.gov/UploadedPhotos/HighResolution/203e4cef-d751-4542-bb23-621fcfc8158d.jpg)
Offshore Areas Available for Drilling when President Obama Took Office (January 2009)
![Click to enlarge image](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121109015451im_/http://naturalresources.house.gov/UploadedPhotos/MediumResolution/018656ca-5998-451b-bee6-089fa5cb774b.jpg)
Related Videos:
Hastings: President's Offshore Drilling Plan is a Giant Step Backwards for American Energy Production and Job Creation (7/25/2012)
Chairman Hastings' Floor Statement on the Congressional Replacement of President Obama’s No-New-Drilling, No-New-Jobs Offshore Plan, House Floor Statement (7/24/2012)
Related Documents:
- Legislative Text of H.R. 6082
- All Congressional Actions for H.R. 6082
- Final vote results for House Roll Call 511
- Committee Action for H.R. 6082
- Committee Report for H.R. 6082
- Press Release - Bipartisan House of Representatives Approves Virginia Offshore Lease Sale that President Obama Canceled Indefinitely (7/25/2012)
- Press Release - House Rejects President Obama’s Offshore Plan, Embraces Bipartisan Replacement to Create American Jobs with New American Energy (7/25/2012)
- Floor Statement - Hastings: President's Offshore Drilling Plan is a Giant Step Backwards for American Energy Production and Job Creation (7/25/2012)
- Floor Statement - Chairman Hastings' Floor Statement on the Congressional Replacement of President Obama’s No-New-Drilling, No-New-Jobs Offshore Plan (7/24/2012)
- Press Release - Decision Time: House to Take Direct Votes on Both President Obama's Proposed Offshore Leasing Plan and Bipartisan Replacement Plan to Boost American Energy and Jobs (7/24/2012)
- Op-Ed - Chairman Hastings' Op-Ed in The Hill: President Obama's offshore drilling plan must be replaced (7/23/2012)
- Markup - Full Committee Markup on H.R. 6082 (7/18/2012)
- Press Release - Committee Approves Bipartisan Job-Creating Energy Bill to Replace President Obama’s No-New-Jobs, No-New-Energy Offshore Plan (7/18/2012)
- Resourceful Information - President Obama Makes History – Offers Lowest Number of Offshore Lease Sales EVER (7/18/2012)
- Hot Air Alert - How Many Times Can the New York Times Get it Wrong? (7/16/2012)
- Hot Air Alert - President Obama Takes No-New-Energy, No-New-Jobs Tour of Virginia (7/13/2012)
- Press Release - Committee to Markup Plan to Replace President Obama's Energy-Restricting and Job-Limiting Offshore Drilling Plan (7/9/2012)
- Hot Air Alert - President Obama's Offshore Energy Negligence (7/2/2012)
- Press Release - Chairman Hastings: Obama Administration Closes Majority of OCS to Offshore Energy Production (6/28/2012)
![Click for information on the American Energy Initiative](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20121109015451im_/http://naturalresources.house.gov/UploadedPhotos/HighResolution/485a08af-1dfa-41f7-82ec-b6595687ac4a.jpg)