[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 116 (Thursday, July 14, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3314-S3318]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
ENERGY
Mr. SULLIVAN. Madam President, I want to turn to energy now. You know
the President is in Saudi Arabia. There is a lot of irony here, I
believe, because his administration has clearly--clearly--made it
harder for Americans to produce American energy with American workers,
with American infrastructure. That is a fact. That is a fact, OK? I see
it in Alaska every day--every single day. The Federal Government is
trying to stop the production of American energy.
What are we seeing? Inflation, super high prices at the gas pump--
literally, everything. Senior administration officials are going to
Wall Street. Senior administration officials who are Federal regulators
for finance are all trying to choke off capital to the American energy
sector. It hurts my constituents. It hurts the country.
So the President is going to Saudi Arabia to beg them to produce
more. He should send an envoy to Texas or an envoy to Alaska and say:
Hey, how can we produce more here? How can we produce more here? I hope
they are starting to change their tune. I hope they are starting to
change their tune so that we don't need to beg the Saudis, dictators
like Iran and Venezuela, and all these other autocratic regimes in the
world to produce. We should produce it in our country. We have the
highest standards in the world by far on the environment--by far. It is
not even close. We have high standards of labor in the world.
The Biden administration, in my State, has been a disaster. They have
issued 26 Executive orders or Executive actions solely focused on my
State, solely focused on Alaska, none of which has been helpful.
Lately--lately--there has been discussion, constructive discussion,
on a big project in Alaska called the Willow Project. The Biden
administration is showing signs that they want to support it. That
would make sense. The country needs energy. This would be done in the
National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska set aside decades ago by Congress
for oil and gas development--again, the highest standards in the world.
I pitched the President on this project over a year ago in the Oval
Office. By the way, it has some of the lowest emissions in the world of
any big energy project. I am going to talk about who supports it.
This has been in permitting for years. I won't go through the
timeline, but this project, the Willow Project, has been in permitting
for years. We could start building it this winter. As a matter of fact,
we tried to start building it last winter.
Like I said, I pitched the President on this: 2,000 construction
jobs; enormous support from the building trades, labor unions; lowest
greenhouse gas emissions for a project this type and size in America.
And it would help us not have to go beg from other countries.
But there has been a lot of press in the last week on the Willow
Project. Of course, our mainstream media doesn't get it. They love to
tell their kind of slanted story on the Willow Project, so I am going
to push back. And, boy, if you are a reporter, I really hope you write
down some of the stuff that I am going to talk about here because it is
all factual. And with all due respect, most of you guys never write
about these things.
I am going to start with this chart. This is a really important chart
in my mind, and it is important because this chart goes to an issue
that really, really strikes to the heart and soul of why resource
development in my State in particular is so important.
This chart is from the American Medical Association, and it looks at
life expectancy from 1980 to 2014: 25 years. And in different parts of
America, you see different life expectancy in these different colors.
The blue, darker blue-purple is areas where life expectancy has
increased dramatically in the last 25 years.
Unfortunately, there is yellow, orange, and even red. Life expectancy
has slowed or even decreased in a few places. If you look at the map,
that is mostly due to the horrendous opioid epidemic that we had as a
nation.
But if you look at this chart, the one State where life expectancy
has increased the most, by far, is the State of Alaska. The one area in
the State of Alaska that has increased the most in terms of life
expectancy are many of our rural areas: North Slope Borough, Northwest
Arctic Borough, Aleutian Island chain--13 years, 13 years. In 25 years,
people's life expectancy went up that much.
I have asked many times my Senate colleagues, Give me a policy
indicator of success more important than are the people you
representing living longer. Give me one. There isn't one. That is about
as important as it gets.
And in my State, it has happened. It has happened. Why has it
happened? Why has it happened? Well, I will tell you why it has
happened. First, in a lot of these rural areas, unfortunately, the life
expectancy in the early eighties was quite low.
These are primarily Alaskan Native communities, and they had some of
the lowest life expectancies of any Americans--sometimes of any people
in the world--because they didn't have things, like good jobs and flush
toilets and clinics. They lived in real poverty. So we started really
low.
And then what happened? What happened that in these mostly Alaskan
Native communities people started living longer? I will tell you what
happened. They started getting jobs. Resource development happened,
responsible resource development: oil, gas, mining, fishing.
So when I talk about these issues, when Senator Murkowski talks about
these issues, it is not just some kind of pie-in-the-sky issue of oil
and gas. I mean, this is about life and death, which is why I come down
here a little bit riled up sometimes because people don't have a clue.
People don't have a clue.
The radical enviros who try to shut down the economies of my State
all the darned time and some U.S. Senators--primarily the senior
Senator from New Mexico--who come down here and try to shut this down,
they don't understand.
So people are living longer in Alaska, much longer, more than any
other part of the country because we have had responsible resource
development, which brings me back to Willow.
So, again, you will see all these articles in the Washington Post,
all these stories. Heck, there is three this week, I think, about this
one project. And they are all slanted. And you have got some Lower 48
environmental group in New York City or San Francisco--oh my gosh,
climate bomb--all this rhetoric that is hot air--pardon the pun--but
not accurate. Who is supporting this project? Who is supporting?
You have an incredible diversity of people supporting this project.
First, the unions, every major union in America--building trades, AFL-
CIO--they are all supporting this project. They are all supporting this
project.
But what I really want to emphasize is another group that is very
special to me that supports the Willow Project. And you see here some
of the symbols of these groups right here.
Some are the Alaska Chamber, Oil and Gas Association, Resource
Development Council, but most of these symbols here are the Alaskan
Native people--the Alaskan Native people, the leaders of a really
important constituency in Alaska, the First Peoples of Alaska.
Why am I saying this? Because our national media never talks about
this, right? They will pick one group, one leader--oh, we are against
it--so they write about it. That is baloney.
The leaders of the Alaska communities, the Native communities are
overwhelmingly supportive of this project. And here is my point: This
administration loves to talk about environmental justice, environmental
equity, communities that have been discriminated against to make sure
they have access to proper environment, but you know what they do? They
have been doing it for a year-and-a-half. When they talk about
environmental justice, environmental equity, they always forget about
Alaskan Natives.
[[Page S3315]]
They purposefully forget about Alaskan Natives. I see it all the time.
They can't do it this time. This project--and come on, media, write
the story. This project has overwhelming support by the Native leaders
and Native communities in Alaska.
So if you are for environmental justice and racial equity, all the
things that the Biden administration says they are for, you better be a
Willow supporter.
And for those in the Biden administration, Gina McCarthy and others,
someone should ask her, Why are you discriminating against Alaskan
Native people, because that is exactly what you are doing.
So you have, right here, some of our Alaska Native leaders in this
statement:
The administration cannot proclaim to support meaningful
tribal consultation and environmental justice while at the
same time killing a critical resource [project] that supports
. . . the Inupiat communities of the North Slope [region].
That is right there from our great Alaska Native leaders, the Alaska
Federation of Natives. I have their letter. That is the group
representing every single Alaska Native organization in the State, the
biggest group in the State, fully supports the Willow Project.
The ANCSA Regional Corporation leadership fully supports the Willow
Project.
The Inupiat Community of the Arctic Slope fully supports the Willow
Project.
Senator Murkowski just put out a press release.
I ask unanimous consent that the Senator Murkowski press release be
printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
News Release,
Lisa Murkowski,
July 14, 2022.
Alaskans Voice Strong Support for Willow Project
Washington, DC--In case you missed it, U.S. Senator Lisa
Murkowski (R-AK) issued the following statement in strong
support of ConocoPhillips' Willow project, located in the
National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A), after the federal
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) published a draft
Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement for it late last
week.
``From day one, I've elevated the Willow project to the
Administration as my top priority, and I will continue to
hold them accountable to their commitment to see this
additional environmental review through so that construction
can begin this winter. Responsibly-developed Alaskan energy
benefits both our national security and American families who
are facing near-record energy prices,'' said Senator
Murkowski. ``The Willow project has gone through several
extraordinarily stringent environmental reviews and will
adhere to Alaska's world-class safety and environmental
standards. It's no wonder the project has such broad support
from Alaskans--including the Alaska Federation of Natives,
the Alaska AFL-CIO, the Alaska Chamber of Commerce, and
Alaska Native stakeholders across the North Slope.''
Willow is critical to Alaska's economy, throughput in the
quarter-full Trans Alaska Pipeline System, domestic energy
security, and making energy more affordable for families and
businesses. The project is estimated to provide up to 160,000
barrels of American oil per day at peak production; $10
billion in revenue for state, local, and federal governments
during its lifespan; 2,000 construction jobs, and 300
permanent jobs.
Following last week's announcement, a wide array of
Alaskans joined Senator Murkowski in voicing their continued
strong support for the Willow project and thanking her for
her longstanding advocacy of it. Murkowski encourages all
Alaskans to weigh in, in favor of Willow's final approval,
through BLM's 45-day public comment process.
WHAT ALASKANS ARE SAYIN
``RDC welcomed the news of the release of the Bureau of
Land Management's (BLM) draft supplemental environmental
impact statement for the Willow project,'' said Leila
Kimbrell, Executive Director for the Resource Development
Council for Alaska. ``After a delay to the project because of
an August 2021 court decision, RDC is pleased to see the
draft SEIS released in time to keep a winter construction
season and we thank Senator Murkowski for keeping pressure on
the administration to put this project back on track. We know
this will be a responsibly developed project, having already
undergone a rigorous multiyear environmental review. It's
time to move forward with a responsible domestic energy
project that will create thousands of jobs, generate tens of
billions of dollars, and strengthen our energy
independence.''
``The Willow Project is critical to the economic well-being
of our region's eight Inupiat villages. Every delay in the
project also delays the economic, infrastructure and
employment benefits the project will bring to North Slope
communities and our people. ASRC extends our gratitude to
Senator Murkowski, Senator Sullivan and the late Congressman
Don Young for their unwavering commitment to moving the
Willow Project forward,'' said Rex A. Rock, Sr., President
and CEO of Arctic Slope Regional Corporation.
``Thanks to Senator Murkowski for fighting for what is good
for Alaska and America; more domestic oil in the pipeline,
good jobs that support a family and lower fuel costs in our
future. Once again, Lisa gets it done. Alaskans should be so
proud of this tireless fighter for our state,'' said Joelle
Hall, President of Alaska AFL-CIO.
``ConocoPhillips and many stakeholders, including residents
of the North Slope and across Alaska are committed to the
Willow project as it will supply much needed energy for the
United States, while serving as a strong example of
environmentally and socially responsible development that
offers extensive public benefits. The Willow project has
undergone an extensive and rigorous multi-year environmental
analysis, including extensive baseline scientific studies.
The project will also create employment opportunities for
union labor and contribute local tax revenue that benefit
communities on the North Slope, as well as significant state
and federal tax revenue for many years. ConocoPhillips thanks
the Alaska Congressional Delegation--Senators Murkowski and
Sullivan, and the late Congressman Young--for their
tremendous efforts in advocating for the Willow project,''
said Erec Isaacson, President of ConocoPhillips Alaska.
``Inupiat Community of the Arctic Slope supports the
development of the Willow Project. Responsible development
for our region will provide infrastructure, jobs and economic
growth for our tribal members. ICAS is pleased with the
environmental reviews that took place to ensure safe
development,'' said Morrie Lemen, Jr., Executive Director of
the Inupiat Community of The Arctic Slope.
``The desperate need for the Willow project could not come
at a more critical juncture in time. Alaskans and Americans
across the country are paying record high energy prices,
while the more than 20 year struggle to get the Willow
project developed serves as a chilling reminder that what
stands between Americans and lower energy prices is nothing
but bureaucratic red tape. Meanwhile, this vital project that
can drive energy abundance, is tucked away in the NPR-A
because government can't get out of the way. We appreciate
Senator Murkowski's tenacity on this issue and we look
forward to working with her to rollback despotic
environmental regulations,'' said Bernadette Wilson, State
Director of Americans for Prosperity Alaska.
``Energy security is vital to our country. Alaska has a
critical role and ability to provide needed energy. Among the
whole array of energy options, the Willow project can be a
shining example of success,'' said Julie Kitka, President of
the Alaska Federation of Natives.
``The release of the draft environmental review for the
Willow project comes at a critical time for Alaska and the
nation. Along with the majority of Alaskans, the Alaska
Chamber is a steadfast supporter of responsible development
projects that provide jobs, economic opportunity, and
increased revenue to state, local, and federal governments.
Now, more than ever, the United States needs to increase
domestic energy supply and enact and defend sound policy that
encourages development of our natural resources at home. The
Chamber thanks Senators Murkowski and Sullivan for their
persistence in keeping the Willow project at the forefront of
the discussion with the Biden Administration and ensuring the
project receives due process,'' said Kati Capozzi, President
and CEO of the Alaska Chamber of Commerce.
``Through the North Slope Borough permitting process we
exercise zoning and other oversight that has--in partnership
with the State and Fed's--led to some of the strictest
environmental regulations in our nation and one of the best
examples of responsible development in the world. Senator
Murkowski knows this and was a champion for our region on
endeavors like the Willow project. Willow will not only lead
to jobs, but better schools, health clinics, and
transportation infrastructure and we can't thank the Senator
enough for continuing to fight for the region and the
State,'' said D.J. Fauske, Director of Government and
External Affairs for the North Slope Borough.
``It is encouraging to see the Bureau of Land Management
release the revised draft environmental review of
ConocoPhillips' proposed Willow Master Development Plan in
the National Petroleum Reserve, or NPR-A. AOGA and its allies
will be fully engaged in the public meetings to come, and we
encourage all Alaskans to learn more about the project's
benefits and participate as the process moves forward. Willow
represents a near-term opportunity to help return the United
States to energy independence at a time when our country
desperately needs more domestic sources of oil and gas. Of
course, a project the size of Willow will also boost Alaska's
economy, creating job opportunities and providing tax
revenues to state, local, and federal governments. Alaskans
have long supported development of our oil and gas resources.
Now is the time to speak up and let the federal government
know how those of us who call Alaska home feel about
[[Page S3316]]
projects like Willow: no one cares more about protecting our
environment or safely developing Alaska's resources than
Alaskans. Alaskans who want to be a part of this significant
step forward have a 45-day comment period to make their
voices heard,'' said Kara Moriarty, President and CEO of the
Alaska Oil and Gas Association.
``The Willow project represents a valid compliment to
rising energy needs while contributing to the health, well-
being, security and self-determination of the region, state
and country. Regulatory process would be better served by
more effective implementation of process and less evaluation
by political trends,'' said Douglas Whiteman, Mayor of the
City of Atqasuk on the North Slope.
Mr. SULLIVAN. Madam President, Alaskans Voice Strong Support for the
Willow Project. She has a huge list of Alaskan Native groups and others
who are supporting the Willow Project.
I ask unanimous consent that the AFN letter be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
Alaska Federation of Natives,
February 23, 2022.
Re AFN Continued Support for the Willow Project.
Hon. Debra Haaland,
Department of the Interior.
Dear Secretary Haaland: On behalf of the Co-Chairs and
Board of Directors of the Alaska Federation of Natives (AFN),
I write to share our long-standing support for the Alaska
Willow Project in the National Petroleum Reserve Alaska (NPR-
A).
The Willow Project has undergone stringent environmental
permitting and a vigorous community engagement process. It
was planned based on the requirements of the 2013 NPR-A
Integrated Activity Plan under the Obama-Biden Administration
and Secretary Salazar with the highest standards for
environmental stewardship. The permitting and environmental
review process encompassed a period of well over two years
and included multiple rounds of public comment and public
meetings with Alaska Native stakeholders. AFN appreciates the
outreach and communication between ConocoPhillips and the
Alaska Native community and considers the process a model for
other development initiatives.
AFN understands that the need for a proactive whole of
government approach to deal with climate change; however
fossil fuels will be with us for quite some time to come, and
projects like Willow can help bridge the gap. As such,
delaying Willow any further will only hinder Alaska's
economic recovery. The Willow Project could jumpstart our
economy with thousands of jobs and be a model in community
and environmental stewardship for future opportunities.
Additionally, the international crisis in Ukraine
highlights the Willow Project's importance to our national
security. The looming invasion of Ukraine by Russia is
already stressing global energy markets. The Willow Project
is a critical opportunity for the U.S. to expand domestic
energy supplies and security while creating economic
opportunities to help Alaska recover from the pandemic. As
such, I strongly urge you to support the current record of
decision and allow the Willow Project to move forward as
planned and previously approved.
Thank you for your consideration. If you have questions,
please feel free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Julie Kitka,
President.
Mr. SULLIVAN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the ANCSA
Regional Association letter be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
February 4, 2021.
Hon. Deb Haaland,
Secretary Nominee, Department of the Interior,
Washington, DC.
Dear Secretary Nominee Haaland: The ANCSA Regional
Association (ARA) represents the twelve Regional Corporations
created under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA)
which was approved by Congress and signed into law by
President Nixon in 1971. The Alaska Native Village
Corporation Association (ANVCA) represents 177 village and
urban corporations created by ANCSA. Together these
organizations represent over 150,000 Alaska Native
shareholders.
We write today to urge the Department of Interior not to
delay the ConocoPhillips Alaska Willow Project given the
exhaustive and thorough review process it has already
undergone, and the urgent need for vetted, economic
opportunities for safe development in Alaska.
ARA and ANVCA strongly support responsible resource
development in Alaska and are concerned about reports that
the DOI intends to, once again, review the EIS Record of
Decision (ROD) for Willow, which could delay or defer the
project's progress.
There is no basis for further review of the ROD, given the
extensive record of public hearings, documented BLM efforts
to address all issues raised through public comment,
completion of an in-depth environmental analysis, and the
over 270 stipulations and best management practices the
project will be required to follow. The Willow EIS was
performed under the rigorous process in place during the
Obama Administration, and was not expedited or granted any
special consideration. The EIS took more than two years to
complete and the report itself totals more than 2,600 pages
of in-depth analysis. Given the extensive nature of the
process used to perform the Willow EIS, we request that the
Department of Interior not delay the Willow project for
further unnecessary analysis, or political rhetoric.
The State of Alaska has been in recession for over five
years, well before the COVID pandemic hit, which then caused
further negative impacts in every industry important to our
state. The federal government should be looking at
opportunities to help Alaska respond to these impacts rather
than exacerbating them. Delaying a project like Willow, which
has already passed a rigorous EIS process, will cause ripple
effects throughout the Alaskan economy. This project will
support over 2,000 construction jobs and hundreds of long-
term jobs, while providing over $2 billion in revenues to the
State of Alaska and $7.6 billion in federal royalties. For
context, $2 billion is roughly the size of the current budget
deficit faced by our state. Revenues received by this project
allows our rural communities to receive continued support to
schools, health clinics and basic public services like water
and sewer treatments.
The Willow Project has passed every environmental and
community test put before it and would provide a much-needed
economic boost to Alaska. Delaying it any further will only
bring more harm to our state. It also harms the economy and
budget of the North Slope Borough, the local government most
closely impacted by the federal government's decision for
review.
Best Regards,
Kim Reitmeier,
Executive Director, ARA.
Hallie Bissett,
Executive Director, ANVCA.
Mr. SULLIVAN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the ICAS
Community of the Arctic Slope be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
January 26, 2022.
Hon. Raul Grijalva,
House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Chairman Grijalva: It has come to our attention that you
are considering sending a letter to Secretary of the Interior
Deb Haaland opposing the Willow Project, a project located in
our region of Alaska. In your position as Chairman of the
House Natural Resources Committee, a committee that has
jurisdiction on issues related to the Indigenous Peoples of
the United States, we respectfully request that you meet with
and listen to the indigenous people of the North Slope of
Alaska before you take a position on the Willow Project.
The Inupiat of the North Slope have lived in the Arctic for
over 10,000 years. We are proud of our self-determination
efforts to ensure future generations of Inupiat continue to
reside in our communities and have access to essential
services. Without a stable economy, our communities will
suffer and so too will our ability to engage in Inupiat
cultural traditions, including a subsistence way of life.
The North Slope of Alaska spans an area nearly the size of
the state of Minnesota and within that expansive area, there
are eight Inupiat communities--Anaktuvuk Pass, Atqasuk,
Kaktovik, Nuiqsut, Point Hope, Point Lay, Utqiagvik and
Wainwright. None of our communities are accessible by road;
all supplies must be flown or barged in making the cost of
living extremely high, and economic opportunity generally
low. Our North Slope residents are keenly aware that advances
in our communities--running water, local schools, health
care, public safety, electricity, and more have come as a
result of the coordination and cooperation of Alaska Native
leaders and entities across the region.
As you know, fifty years ago, the Federal Government
directed Alaska Native people to organize in a new structure
of indigenous representation. The Alaska Native Claims
Settlement Act of 1971, commonly referred to as ANCSA, was a
dramatically different approach by the Federal Government to
Federal Indian policy Unlike the Lower 48 model of indigenous
representation that typically has a central entity on the
reservation, the Tribe, that administers the delivery of
services like healthcare, public safety, education, land
management and economic development to name a few, the
passage of ANCSA created a fragmented system of Alaska Native
representation and delivery of services.
Our region has a multitude of Alaska Native entities that
work together to effectively serve, provide for and enrich
the lives of the Inupiat people we represent. Our three
entities, the Inupiat Community of the Arctic Slope (ICAS),
the North Slope Borough
[[Page S3317]]
(Borough) and Arctic Slope Regional Corporation (ASRC) are
three of those entities. While our roles are defined, our
constituencies overlap which is why we work closely together
to protect the cultural and economic interests of the North
Slope Inupiat.
Established in 1971, the Inupiat Community of the Arctic
Slope is a federally recognized regional tribal government
for the North Slope and represents over 13,000 Inupiat tribal
members. The mission of ICAS is to exercise its sovereign
rights and powers for the benefit of tribal members, to
conserve and retain tribal lands and resources including
subsistence and environmental issues, to establish and carry
out justice systems including social services under Inupiat
tribal law and custom, and to increase the variety and
quality of services provided to current tribal members and
for our future generations.
The North Slope Borough is a home rule government located
above the Arctic Circle that represents the roughly 10,000
residents in the eight communities of the region. The
Borough's jurisdiction includes the entire National Petroleum
Reserve--Alaska (NPR-A) and the villages within it--Nuiqsut,
Atqasuk, Utqiagvik, and Wainwright. In 1972, the Inupiat
people of the North Slope formed the Borough to ensure our
communities would benefit from oil and gas development on
their ancestral homelands. It was the first time Native
Americans took control of their destiny through the use of a
municipal government. The Borough exercises its powers of
taxation, property assessment, education, and planning and
zoning services. Taxes levied on oil and gas infrastructure
have enabled the Borough to invest in public infrastructure
and utilities, support education, and provide police, fire,
emergency and other services. Elsewhere in rural Alaska,
these services are typically provided by the state or federal
governments.
Arctic Slope Regional Corporation was incorporated pursuant
to the passage of ANCSA. ASRC is owned by and represents the
business interests of our approximately 13,000 Inupiat
shareholders, many of whom reside in the eight communities on
the North Slope. ANCSA extinguished aboriginal land title and
conveyed nearly five million acres of fee-simple land to ASRC
for the cultural and economic benefit of our Inupiat
shareholders. Mandated by Congress to not only operate as a
for-profit corporation but to serve the social and welfare
interests of the people it represents, ASRC is committed to
providing financial returns to our Inupiat shareholders in
the form of jobs and dividends, and to preserving Inupiat
culture and traditions.
Over the decades, and even more so today, we have seen
national environmental nongovernmental organizations (ENGOs)
attempt to wear the mantle of protectors of Indigenous
interests in the U.S. Arctic--something that we, as elected
and appointed leaders of the Inupiat people of the North
Slope, find unacceptable. ENGO's continue to push a false
narrative to advance their agendas at the expense of the
Indigenous people and communities of the North Slope.
To fully embrace the Biden Administration's priorities of
racial equity, environmental justice and supporting
underserved communities, leaders must take the time to listen
to those they are aiming to serve, even if their perspective
may not fit the political narrative being pushed on a
national level.
We understand that your proposed letter not only requests
Secretary Haaland oppose the Willow Project, but it calls for
terminating the project in order to protect the resources
that support Indigenous communities. The Administration
cannot proclaim to support meaningful tribal consultation and
environmental justice while at the same time killing a
critical resource that supports our regional economy and the
Inupiat communities of the North Slope region. If the
contents of your proposed letter are true, this would be
highly offensive to our region's leadership.
ICAS, the Borough and ASRC support the development of the
Willow Project. Our region has a fifty-year relationship with
the oil and gas industry, which came as a result of the
Federal Government's desire to develop oil and gas resources
on our ancestral homelands. While initially wary of any
development on our lands, through open communication and
transparency in planning and Inupiat ingenuity, our
relationship with the oil and gas industry has turned into a
partnership. A partnership that has brought significant
economic benefits to the region that would have otherwise
been absent. The entities that represent the North Slope
Inupiat play an active role in oil and gas development
projects that take place in our region. Our region has shown
that responsible development and the continuation of our
Inupiat cultural traditions, including subsistence
activities, can effectively coexist while also providing the
means to deliver modern-day essential services such as police
and fire protection, pre-K-12 education and water and sewer
infrastructure (which again, are largely made possible
through responsible development of oil and gas resources on
our lands).
If you are truly concerned about curbing oil and gas
development, examine the massive imports of Russian oil
coming into the West Coast of the United States and also ask
why the Biden Administration has recently called for OPEC to
produce more overseas developed oil to stave off Russian
aggression in Ukraine. None of these countries have the same
stringent rules and regulations imposed on oil and gas
companies that operate in the U.S., including in our region
of Alaska. The North Slope region has developed our oil and
gas resources safely and for the direct benefit of our
Inupiat community and the nation.
We would be grateful and honored to have the opportunity to
meet with you on this topic and ask that you consider meeting
with us before sending a letter that does not align with the
interests of the Inupiat of the North Slope of Alaska.
If there are any questions we can answer for you or your
staff, or to schedule a time to meet please contact Bridget
Anderson, ASRC's Vice President External Affairs.
Sincerely,
George Edwardson,
President,
Inupiat Community of the Arctic Slope.
Harry K. Brower, Jr.,
Mayor,
North Slope Borough.
Rex A. Rock. Sr.,
President and CEO,
Arctic Slope Regional Corporation.
Mr. SULLIVAN. Madam President, so here is my point: The next time the
media writes a big story on Willow and environmental justice and racial
equity--which they love to do--and Alaska, they need to include this.
This is the truth. They need to include the strong union support.
Go talk to the laborers, go talk to the building trades, go talk to
Sean McGarvey, Terry O'Sullivan. See what they think about Willow.
There is one group that doesn't like Willow. It is the same group
that doesn't like anything in America. It is the radical far-left
environmental groups that are trying to shut down my State and keep
Native Americans, Native Alaskans, impoverished in Alaska. I am not
going to let that happen.
Here is one final thing. It is funny, not funny--Amusing, not
amusing. Again, this is really important. This is about life and death.
You have all these stories about Willow in the national media, but
what really, really kind of burns me up is there is a story--you know,
they talk about the climate bomb, whatever the heck that means; it is
not factual. But the one story I never see about Federal lands--real
big increases in oil and gas production, real big increases in
emissions--that never gets written about, again for our friends in the
media--never--is what is going on in New Mexico, what is going on in
New Mexico.
Well, we know some of the Members, the senior Senator from New
Mexico, he loves to come after Alaska projects; I don't know why. Shut
them down. Maybe to divert the media's attention from what is going on
in his State. But I just want to give a couple stats.
Since 2019, New Mexico has increased production in its oil production
by 700,000 barrels a day. It is pretty impressive. They were at 800,000
barrels; they have increased by almost 700,000. They have increased
more than Alaska even produces in 3 years.
It is now the second largest oil producer in the country. The senior
Senator from New Mexico recently bragged that is up 400 percent. OK.
Good for him.
It is still amazing to me; he comes down here a lot, writes letters
to try to shut down my State. But, whatever, I don't go after New
Mexico. But I do want our friends in the media to just kind of ask the
questions. Boy, oh, boy, you want to talk about climate bomb: 700,000
barrels a day. They have more carbon emissions than Alaska by far.
Nobody is writing that story. But it is also how we do our
environmental standards in different States. My State has the highest
standards in the world on energy production--New Mexico, not so much.
Let me just give you a couple of examples: The average well in Alaska
is 28,000 barrels a day because it is conventional. We are actually--
the resource is so rich there, we are not fracking like they do in the
unconventional area. The average well in New Mexico produces 100
barrels--a hundred barrels to 28,000. So what does that mean? You have
to drill 280 wells in New Mexico just to reach the equivalent of one in
Alaska.
So the environmental footprint is much bigger. The carbon emission is
much bigger. New Mexico flares its gas. We reinject our gas--again,
highest environmental standards in the world.
We conduct our exploration and drilling activities only in the
winter. You have to build ice roads, ice pads. Zero impact. I used to
be in charge of this.
[[Page S3318]]
It is very expensive to do that. One little drop of anything--chewing
tobacco--on the tundra, you have to report it. So where is the story
about what is going on there?
Where is the carbon bomb story on New Mexico? Where is the story that
the Secretary of the Interior has directed almost half the Federal
permits to drill in the country to one State? Do you think it is
Alaska? No way. They are trying to shut us down.
You think it is Texas? Nope. North Dakota? Nope. It is New Mexico.
Golly gee, isn't that interesting?
I sure hope--look, it is terribly suspicious from my perspective that
one State has received more Federal energy permits in the last 15
months than all other States in America combined. The Secretary of the
Interior is from New Mexico. OK. Maybe there is something there.
But here is the bottom line: There have been barrels of ink spilled
on every single project in Alaska--Willow, this week. But reporters
shrug their shoulders, look the other way. Maybe it is because it is a
blue State, they don't want to touch those guys, when it comes to New
Mexico. No wonder Americans don't trust the media.
I am going to conclude with this quote. It is from a Wall Street
Journal editorial written by the North Slope Borough mayor, Harry
Brower, the Inupiat leader of the North Slope community and Josiah
Paktotak, who is the State rep. These are two Alaska Native leaders
elected. They are fully supportive of Willow.
It was in the Wall Street Journal, entitled ``Let Alaska Sell
American Energy to the World,'' and it was written in March, as Russia
was invading Ukraine.
They said:
Even as Russian tanks lined up on the Ukrainian border in
February, the Biden administration froze U.S. drilling on
Federal lands and issued rules making it harder to build
natural gas pipelines.
By the way, that is the rule that I am putting forth a CRA resolution
to rescind.
They continue:
We may be Inupiaq Eskimos 5,000 miles away from the
Washington policy machine, but we know crazy when we see it.
And this is crazy.
And the American people know it.
Now, look, the President is in the Middle East, meeting with allies,
asking for the Saudis to produce more oil. But as he would say: Come
on, man. You got to start at home. You got to start at home.
The Willow Project in Alaska, supported by the Native community,
supported by the unions--I would guarantee supported by probably 90
percent of Americans--it is time to get things like this done.
So our NEPA Congressional Review Act and our advocacy for commonsense
projects, like Willow, supported by every single group in my State--and
I sure hope the media writes about this--especially the Native people--
if they shut this down, that will be the ultimate injustice to
indigenous people in Alaska, and they know it. And that is one of the
many reasons why they shouldn't do it.
I yield the floor.
____________________