H.R. 1231, the Reversing President Obama’s Offshore Moratorium Act, mandates five year leasing programs which open up continental shelf areas that contain large amounts of oil and gas previously unavailable to producers. Areas to be included in the plan are those that contain at least 2.5 billion barrels of oil or 7.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. The long-term goal is for domestic production of 3 million barrels of oil per day and 10 billion cubic feet of gas per day from these previously unused sources. This oil production will account for an additional 57% of our current production, and an additional 16% of our consumption, reducing our dependence on foreign oil from 72% to 56%.
The bill passed by a vote of 243-179, with nine Republicans voting against it, and 22 Democrats voting for it. The Republicans who opposed the measure are: Buchanan (FL-13), Freylinghuysen (NJ-11), Jones (NC-3), Lance (NJ-7), LoBiondo (NJ-2), Mack (FL-14), Ros-Lehtinen (FL-18), Runyan (NJ-3), and Smith (NJ-4).
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