training, and evaluation area. that's why the u.s. military brought these new assets into this area. all right. mr. president, there is another reason now that i get so exercised about this other than the fact that the agreements that were set, that were agreed to, the compromises that were struck three years ago are now being abrogated. and that is they now bring oil rig leasing within 10 miles of the world's most beautiful

beaches. there are not too many americans that don't know that the beaches running from pensacola all the way through panama city to mexico beach are some of the world's most beautiful beaches. they are sugary white sand that people from all over go to enjoy this extraordinary, valuable resource. it is god's way of gefg u givina blessing on earth that they want to enjoy when they want to go to the beach. can you imagine now what the energy committee has passed allowing oil rigs 10 miles off of the world's most beautiful beaches? now, environmentally that's one thing. but let's look at the economy of

florida. the economy of florida, we are a peninsula. we have more coastline than any other state, save for alaska, but alaska doesn't have a lot of beaches. we have more beaches than -- not almost, but than any other state. is it any wonder that we want to protect our economy, which is a $60 billion a year tourism industry. particularly at a time when the economy is being savaged as much as it is? and, yet, -- and, yet, the senate energy committee would say what -- that they are not only going to ignore the military tests and training range that's been off limits in the law, but now that they're

going to run rigs up to 10 miles offshore and threaten those sugary white beaches, well, let me just tell you a few points about this wise energy policy that they have supposedly adopted. we all know that increased domestic drilling is not going to decrease u.s. depends on foreign oil. that's been shown over and over. why? because if there were oil there, you're not going to get it into production for 10 years, and, so, using the scare tactics of the gas prices going up and up, it doesn't do a bit for decreasing u.s. dependence on foreign oil and helping the gas

prices. but let's say that it would. and even though bad oil spills and shipping accidents take place, let's say for a moment that the technological inknow associations now have made all drilling operations safe. and if the united states wishes to remain dependent on oil, well, shouldn't we drill anywhere we can find oil? well, how about colorado for oil shale? but, oh, no. that's off limits. how about the five great lakes? they should have plenty of black gold. but that's off limits. how about the oil-rich arctic national wildlife refuge? but that's off limits. and this senator has supported keeping that off limits.

no, the reality is instead some of my colleagues in the senate now they want to come -- it's kind of like don't tax you, don't tax me, go tax that fellow under the tree. they want to go and hit somebody else. and they want to cut the heart and the lungs out of the united states military testing area and they want to come in and start fouling up the most beautiful beaches in the world in the northwest florida coast. three years ago we opened up that additional 8.3 million acres. we didn't allow any drilling any

closer than 100 miles off of pensacola, 125 miles off of panama city, 237 miles off of tampa bay, and over 300 miles off of naples. and why are some people pushing to change this so soon after that compromise that was struck three years ago? it's the oil industry, that's why. the oil industry has those 33 million acres out here in the central and western gulf. it's leased. it's not being drilled, but that's not enough for them. and even though the industry hand picked areas opened up here in the 2006 compromise, it now

feels it can make more of a profit by drilling closer to florida's coast. i don't think we should have to trash our coastline and our economy and the united states military just so big oil can increase its profit margin. and there are the serious national security implications if this were to become law. i want to show you something else, madam president. look at this picture. this is the coastline of louisiana. you know what that? that's oil mixing with white

sugary, powdery white sand. drilling 10 miles off of the coast of florida would destroy the economy of the nation's fourth largest state. it would convert florida's world class beaches to an industrial coastline. we would trade the world's top beaches and the tourists attractions for an industrial wasteland dotted with transmission pipes and storage tanks and oil rigs. and we would take away the united states military's last unfettered testing and training range. and take it away during a time of war. supporters of opening up the eastern gulf say that we don't -- that we need to do it to help

get america off foreign oil. tell me that. why isn't there a clause in the drilling amendment that was passed specifying that all oil and natural gas that would be produced in the eastern gulf that would specify that had to stay in the united states for domestic consumption? but, no, that's not there. because the truth is that any oil that would be drilled could be sent to any other country in the world reducing our use of foreign oil not by one single drop. so if we really want to reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and you've heard me say this out here, we need to increase the use of alternative energy, energy