November 7, 1995 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-SENATE 31521 SENATE-Tuesday, November 7, 1995 The Senate met at 10 a.m., and was SCHEDULE Senate, because it is important that we called to order by the President pro Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, have public reaction. It is kind of in­ tempore [Mr. THURMOND]. today there will be a period for the teresting to note that, as calls come in The PRESIDENT pro tempore. To­ transaction of morning business until relative to my speaking on this issue, day's prayer will be offered by Father 12:30 p.m. The Senate will stand in re­ there is a perception that we in Alaska Paul E. Lavin of St. Joseph's Catholic cess between the hours of 12:30 and 2:15 are initiating an activity that some­ Church, Washington, DC. today in order to accommodate the re­ how is irregular or a departure from spective party luncheons. what is happening in other States. I PRAYER At 2:15, the Senate will begin consid­ can only respond to that by suggesting Father Paul E. Lavin, St. Joseph's eration of H.R. 1833, a bill to ban par­ that our State has only been a State Catholic Church, Washington, DC, of­ tial birth abortions. Rollcall votes can, for 36 years. fered the fallowing prayer: therefore, be expected to occur on As a consequence, we are today es­ Let us pray: amendments to H.R. 1833 or on any tablishing our land patterns in this In Psalm 25, David sings: other items cleared for action. huge area of Alaska, which is one-fifth I wait for you, 0 Lord; Mr. President, I believe I have 20 the size of the United States. It has I lift up my soul to my God. minutes reserved for morning business? 33,000 miles of coastline. Other States In you I trust: do not let me be dis- The PRESIDING OFFICER. That is were established-such as the State of graced; correct. Virginia, nearly 200 years ago, and do not let my enemies gloat over me. Mr. MURKOWSKI. With the permis­ Washington, Oregon, California, 100 No one is disgraced who waits for you sion of the Chair, I would like to pro­ years ago. So as a "new kid on the but only those who lightly break faith. ceed. block," so to speak, as we attempt to Make known to me your ways, 0 Lord; develop resources, whether it be tim­ teach me your paths. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Sen­ Guide me in your truth and teach me, ator from Alaska is recognized for 20 ber, fish, oil and gas, or mining, we are for you are my God and Savior. minutes. trying to take advantage of the science For you I wait all the long day, and technology that is available today because of your goodness, Lord. and learn from the mistakes of others Remember your compassion and love, OPENING THE ARCTIC OIL and balance and develop an economy. O Lord RESERVE I do not think many people have a for they are ages old. Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, for total understanding or an appreciation Remember no more the sins of my a number of days I have been sharing of that. They think that the limited youth, with my colleagues my observations on development in Alaska is somehow not remember me only in the light of your the opening of the Arctic oil reserve, or in keeping with the times. The reality love. ANWR. Briefly, for those Members who is that we have to have natural re­ We praise You 0 God and we bless are not familiar with this, let me just sources, develop those natural re­ You; You have called us to life and do a quick review. In the Congress and sources. We have a job base, and those given us so many gifts. We have sought in the reconciliation package in both jobs are high-paying jobs in construc­ and accepted offices of public trust, the House and the Senate is the au­ tion, timber, mining, oil and gas. If we and now put our trust in Your compas­ thority to initiate a lease-sale in do not develop those resources, we sim­ sion and love. ANWR. There are many misconcep­ ply get the materials from other coun­ Direct now all our actions by Your tions relative to the proposal because a tries, export our jobs overseas and ex­ holy inspiration and carry them on by number of people believe that the en­ port our dollars. Your gracious assistance so that every tire area is at risk. The significance of developing this prayer and work of ours may reflect This area in green, including the yel­ area is that geologists tell us this is Your will. low area, consists of about 19 million where a major discovery might be May our lives and voices give glory acres. That is an area the size of the made. Because Prudhoe Bay is in de­ to Your name. Amen. State of South Carolina. In 1980, Con­ cline-this area has been producing 25 gress withdrew and set in permanent percent of the total crude oil produced status the green area, consisting of 8 in the United States in the last 18 million acres of wilderness, which is years. As this area declines, the ques­ RECOGNITION OF THE ACTING shown in green and black here, and an­ tion is: Can we, or should we, replace it MAJORITY LEADER other 9112 million acres of refuge, leav­ by bringing on line this area, the small The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. ing the coastal plain for disposition by footprint here in the coastal plain COVERDELL). The Senator from Alaska the Congress. known as ANWR? is recognized. This area in red is the area retained Clearly, we can do it safely. We have by the Eskimo people of the village of been able to develop Prudhoe Bay. We Kaktovic. You will notice that they have developed an 800-mile pipeline. We have no access out of that area other had a bad accident with the Exxon ORDER TO PROCEED TO H.R. 1833 than into the coastal plain which is Valdez vessel, but that is something AT 2:15 P.M. TODAY Federal land. The lease-sale we are that had nothing to do with a pipeline. Mr. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, on talking about is a proposal to lease It was one of those human failures. The behalf of the leader, I ask unanimous 300,000 acres out of this million and a ship went aground in a 101/2-mile chan­ consent that notwithstanding the pre­ half acres because the other 17 million nel. vious order, the Senate begin consider­ acres has already been withdrawn. So The point I want to make here this ation of H.R. 1833 at 2:15 today and that we are talking about a very small area. morning, Mr. President, is that we de­ morning business be extended until To suggest that the entire area is at veloped a small field adjacent to 12:30. risk clearly is a misinterpretation of Prudhoe Bay 10 years ago. That was The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without the facts. We log our telephone calls in the 10th largest producing field. His­ objection, it is so ordered. our office, as do most Members of the tory tells us that if the oil is here, they e This "bullet" symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor. 31522 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD-SENATE November 7, 1995 can develop it in about 2,000 acres. To what this activity would generate for As a consequence, it is fair to say of get back to some of the comments America unions; it would be the largest the approximately 34 herds in Alaska, which I think have prompted me to try concentration of construction in North two-thirds of them are on an increase, and give a little more explanation as to America. The Teamsters, the laborers, about 10 percent are on a decline, and why Alaska should be attempting to the !BEW, the maritime unions all sup­ the rest of them are stagnant but cycli­ develop its energy resources, there are port this. This is a significant job cal, as many of the ranging land ani­ suggestions that somehow we are be­ issue. mals in the wild. holden to an oil lobby as a delegation, It is estimated that the lease sale Now, we also have a presumption by that we should be giving more concern would bring about $2.6 billion in reve­ the Secretary of the Interior that he is to the environment, that they think we nue. That revenue, half of which would protecting our future by blocking ac­ have financial ties to the oil compa­ go to the Federal Government, the cess to opening up this area. I suggest nies. other half to the State of Alaska, the Secretary of Interior is actually One woman indicated she felt so would be raised in the private sector of gambling with our future. strongly about it that she had worked the United States without one cent of We sent troops to the Persian Gulf. to get a moratorium on elephants in Government funding. We recall the gas lines in the 1970's. We Africa and she was going to go to work Now, there is a suggestion that some are exporting our dollars and jobs. We to make sure we got a moratorium not Alaskans do not support ANWR, some are making less environmentally con­ to develop oil in Alaska.