to vote on a number of key issues. the washington times newspaper and radio programsthey have tres in the state of florida, and because we are the reliable source of information and conservative opinions coming from washington, d.c., and across the united states. we have already had 1.2 million unique visitors come from the state of florida, so you are very important for everything we are doing, and you are so important if you turn to page 27, you will see an opportunity

to get six issues delivered to get the best information and the only information for conservative values coming from washington, d.c. and where do we go with all this? we want to make sure each candidate has 15 minutes to speak and present their views to you, and i would encourage you to vote in the room to 28. adam is committed to american values and strong he has been collected in 2002 to serve as a part-time state legislature representing tom be its reach in

representing palm beach -- representing palm beach. he was elected to serve. adam has a lifetime a rating from the nra, a 98% rating from the chamber of commerce. endorsed by freedom works. adam and his wife lived in boca raton. please welcome adam. [applause] ♪

>> thank you so much, and i want to thank my friends for hosting this event here in orlando today. this is an exciting time for florida conservatives, and we are proud to be part of it. in 2010 the people in this room helped lead a revolution to help elect mark rubio to the senate, and in 2012, florida will make barack obama 01-term president and health regain control of the senate by retiring and bill nelson once and for all. people have short memories in politics. they forget of for obama and the

tea party and the great american an awakening the establishment in the republican party, they thought the best way to beat the democrats was to be more like gnome. when mark -- was to be more like them. mark rubio call me the most positive henry did the most partisan i wore it -- called me the most partisan. i wore it as a badge of honor. my wife and i are truly grateful for all the support we have received. it is great to see so many familiar faces gathered this week, long-term friends and some we have just met. we are proud of the endorsements we have just made by grass-roots

organizations, from leading conservative voices like erik erikson, and from florida's own shark tank cpac blogger of the year. they know my record, and they know i am relentless when it comes to standing up for conservative principles. they know i have led the fight on tough battles even when isn't it was not popular. rejecting obama unemployment stimulus, preventing florida workers from being forced into labor unions, blocking an attempt to bear and offshore drilling and shredding plans for a cap and trade scheme, and what we need in washington now more than ever is leaders who have

the courage to say what needs to be said and do what needs to be done regardless of poles or politics. i know what it means to go against the grain. being a lifelong republican is not easy when you are the son of two jewish democrats born in brooklyn, new york, and guess what? being a pro-live, pro-second amendment conservative from bogota raton has not been any easier either, but when you are a minority of now minority, you have to be more resolve, more determined, and more firm in what you believe, and that is the same fight i will take to washington as your next u.s. senator. today we find ourselves in an

ideological battle for the heart and soul of our country. the deterioration of our values has led us towards a dependencies society. it has led to the expansion of government and the taxes and spending and borrowing required to sustain it. our mounting debt is stifling economic growth, jeopardize sing our sovereignty, and has become our greatest national security threat, but if we send the right leaders to washington, i am confident we can reignite america's economic prosperity based on the spirit of the individual, not the power of the state, that weekend and reinstate -- that we can reinstate our power so our enemies know we oppose them and our allies like the status of -- like the state of israel know we

stand with them. we can reclaim done the judeo- christian values and make america special and unique. god, faith, and respect for life are not just conservative principles. they are the most fundamental american values, so the fight starts right here in florida, where bill nelson has been the biggest cheerleader for the obama agenda. he supported the stimulus and obamacare and cap and trade, and for every vote marco rubio takes, bill nelson is there to cancelled it out, so for all your hard work in 2010, not enough has changed in

washington. in 2012, and we need to send a conservative reinforcement to help get the job done. floridians are not looking for democrats and republicans to simply split the difference. they are looking for leadership. republicans do not need to be less partisan. republicans need to be more principled, and as conservative reformers, we must be on the offense and articulate our vision for the future, because the fact is the obama administration does not have a messaging problem. they have a policy problem. they are waging class warfare, filing more debt on future generations, and lack of moral clarity is making america less safe and less respected around the world.

we need bold leaders who will tell people the truth, and my plan begins with cutting spending, reining in the size and scope of government, and balancing the federal budget -- the federal deficit. reforming and preserving social security end saving medicare and creating a sustainable system going forward. the truth is florida seniors have the most to lose, because we are on a path to insolvency and will burden future in -- will burden future generations for years to come. our vision cannot just be about cutting. we must also lay out our road

map for growth, fixing are broken tax system to make it flatter, fairer, and simpler, eliminating subsidies, providing regulatory certainty so businesses can make investments and create jobs, and having a plan for exploration for onshore and offshore oil and natural gas to reduce our dependence on foreign sources. the truth is the challenges we face today were not just created by democrats. republicans share in the blame, and that is why it is not just about collecting any republican. it is about electing the right republican, and i have proven myself on the tough issues, even in the face of opposition and

criticism. i have proven i will stand up to the democrats and republicans who act like them. i have proven and i can win elections in the lowest part of florida and the only other republican who has ever actually won an election, but this campaign is not about me. our campaign is about the people we meet every day, about the lives that touch our own and the stories that touch our hearts. it is about the emergency room nurses, the moms and dads and grandparents who are worried about retirement savings, and those who came from foreign countries to flee communist dictatorships in order to pursue the american dream, who are now in fear we are repeating the mistakes of history, and it is about you, the people in this

room who give their time, energy, and resources and are here today because you care about the future of this country. you are rightfully concerned about the future your children and grandchildren will inherit, and you know washington is broken and the same compromises and a consensus will not fix it, but you know what else i see it now? but floridians are hopeful. they have not given up on their dreams for a better life, and neither will the rest of the country, because america has been tested before, and each time we have persevered, and i am confident with principled, conservative leadership, we will rise to this generational challenge like those before have risen to theirs, so i am asking for your support in the straw poll, but more importantly, i am

asking you to join in our movement. i am not afraid of losing our election. i am afraid of losing our country. i want us to all be able to say we answered the call, sir join me to fight the status quo in washington, and together we will save the united states of america. god bless you, and god bless the united states. [applause] >> as i stood back there, i

realize talking to these wonderful gentlemen, that i am a welcoming committee for my neighborhood, and one of these guys is going to help us out, working four blocks from where i live. we want to make sure you've marked down 220 e street. come visit us. have dinner. no problem. you are more than welcome for dinner. the straw poll of voting, not only do you have a chance to determine and mark your preference, and i think can know the answer to this next one. question 1, d you approve of the job barack obama is doing as

president? >> boo! >> that is enough to get you to vote. our next guest is george. the move voted with the national rifle association, and there is a 100% rating from the christian coalition. we received a 93% from the national taxpayers union and the conservative union. he has been involved in grass- roots efforts from a very young age. he was president of the young republicans and was elected to the in the and our county republican party.

he currently serves as chairman of the board of a prominent florida law firm. he is running for united states senate because he has seen how does our government is, and he wants to make a positive impact. ♪ >> good morning. are you ready to get your country back? it is my great honor to be here today. before i tell you about why i want to return to the united states senate and champion the causes i believe in, i want to tell you a little bit about myself. i am a proud husband and father. my wife and i have four young

children. highlight an -- i have had a lot of challenges. being a dad has given me appreciation for my wife and how she cares for our kids. i am a businessman. i am looking at accounts receivable. i am looking at our expenses. i am trying to make sure i deliver for the board and shareholders and that i do well for the more than 350 people in my firm who rely on me for a paycheck, but i know it is non government that creates jobs. it is the private sector. i and not a career politician.

it is important to know the vegas problem with government is people who have been in government their whole lives. problem. courareerism now i served floridians in the senate. for a republican and whose mom and dad never went to college, it was a tremendous honor. in washington is the most broken thing i have ever seen. when i was sworn into congress it was right in the middle of the health-care battle, and if you want to know what is wrong with government, you have to use one word -- obamacare.

we could not stop them, but what we did not do with your help is we held them accountable. the longest session since the time the senate decided to go to war in world war roman one, and we raised the issues. we said this was a plan that was too much taxes, takes billions of dollars from medicare in the future, puts a bureaucrat between you and your doctor. i could not find a place where someone could make you buy something you did not want and fine you if you did not do it. we stood up against obamacare, and i stood up against the president of the united states, and so did you. you gave life to the tea party movement. our voices were heard, and

although we did not win the war, we started to win the battle. in the election, we elected marco rubio to the united states senate. it is not just obamacare. that is the tip of iceberg. the real problem in washington is how these career politician in this spend your money. if you have been in the state senate and congress your entire life, maybe it doesn't seem strange you are spending one trillion dollars more than you take in, but for someone in the private sector, it seems awfully strange. the largest financial budget has not had a budget in 850 days? it is worse than that. they never have a budget. we think, let's look at what we are going to take in and we can

determine what we are going to spend. they add to it. we are 14.7 trillion dollars in debt. what is one trillion dollars ?n debt you hear these numbers on tv. that is not just three different letters in front of a billion. $1 million covers two football fields. $1 billion covers key west, florida. imagine wall street with $1 bills going down in. stranger things have happened in key west. one trillion dollars covers rhode island twice. let me put it to you this way. if you were to spend $1 million from the birth of jesus christ

until today he would not yet spend one trillion dollars. $1 million a day 2000 years ago. this is an enormous amount of money, and your government is 14 times more than that. it is unsustainable. it is a moral, and it is hamas and -- it is on american, and it is putting a burden on our children they will not be able to overcome. we stand to entered billion dollars a year on interest alone. your government cannot make a $900 billion interest rate payments. we are going the way of greece, and we are going there 5. it can happen here, and it will if we keep electing the same kind of people to washington. i am running for the u.s. senate, because the past we are on put us in a clear and

present danger. it could send a clear and present danger all of our businesses, and if it's clear and are sure it -- clear and present government danger. it puts in clear and present danger my future and your grandchildren's future, and we have to change things now, so how are we going to change america from its government? that is the question. we are not going to do it by sending career politicians to we have got one of those in the white house. how is that working out for us? the decision is yours. the task before us is to we will nominate, not just in this race, but here in florida, too. you are going to hear from all

of these candidates. they are going to give you the best words. they are going to watch fox news. talk is cheap. what matters is our record. the good book says he shall know them by their fruits, so please when you are trying to decide who you will take in this race, let's get our records -- look at our records. there are some things different between me and our competitors. i am the only one with a conservative voting record. i voted against raising the debt ceiling applies. i propose my own balanced budget solution while the 2007 solution -- i said let's go back to what we spent in 2007, just three and a half years ago when the economy was could, cap all federal spending at 2007 levels.

we balance the budget in two years, and by the end of the decade we would cut the debt in half. that is common sense. i voted against amnesty for illegals. i voted against barack obama's liberal supreme court nominee. i voted pro-lifers and pro- family. i got the tax payer hero award. even though i was the most junior guy there, i got a proposal to save $20 billion in a year to prevent -- for preventing medicare fraud. the chamber of commerce gave me 100%, and so did the christian coalition, and i have the support of our great republican in this race. i am proud to have the governor

in my corner, and you should know i voted with nra 100% of the time. it is a record i am proud of. i will not run from my record. i will stand on it. i am the only candidate in this race, republican or democrat, that has never voted to raise your taxes and never requested a wasteful earmark. i saw what these earmarks are. they are corruption, and they are too much spending. i never asked for one, and if you send me back, i never will. third, i am not a career politician. bill nelson has been in office since i was three. our founding fathers never

intended this to be of plays you spend your whole life. it was intended to be a place where you did public service and went back to your business. that is the kind of people we need in washington. i have made hard choices, but our former governor, my friend, left the republican party. the next day i endorse more rubio -- endorsed marco rubio for the senate. and now i've pledged country first. my friends, i have been a republican all my life. i was a teenage republican president, a young republican president common and and the chairman in brouwer. i believe in our principles, and i have proven done, but the

votes being counseled m. -- of both being canceled, and bill nelson is a tax and spend liberal democrat and a solid reliable vote for harry reid. we are not going to save america with harry reid running the u.s. senate. for the good of florida and the good of america, bill nelson must cgo. [applause] when i voted for obamacare, nelson voted against -- voted for it. when i voted against amnesties for illegals, nelson voted for it. when i voted pro-lifers and pro- family, nelson opposed us every time. when i proposed more spending

cuts than all but one of the 100 and u.s. senators, bill nelson of for more and more. bill nelson is sorry to try to run from his record, but if i am the nominee, he can run, but he cannot hide. there is no guarantee america will continue to be great. america is our responsibility. each of those really each of us has the responsibility to insure the american dream continues. every generation has been called on to fight for something, and now it is our term. the challenge of our generation is a federal government that is out of control and a debt that could across this country and leave us diminished.

i do not want to live in that kind of america. that is why i am running for the senate. we need to make sure america continues to be a place where any person can achieve their dreams and that they are only limited by their imagination and hard work. but as the america we must restore. but as the america we must have for your children and my children. do we have the enthusiasm and determination to be great again? i say we do. [applause] remember my friends, as challenging as times are, there is nothing we as americans cannot do. we fought nazi germany. we put a man on the moon in

florida, and now our spare rooms attend dorm rooms -- we have created the best inventions that have allowed people to create their dreams. there is nothing we cannot do. now is our time. i want your help. now i want your support. let's reclaim this country. thank you. ♪ >> you would think i live in

chicago. remember to vote. among some of the questions you can actually vote in. the most important goal is to promote traditional values by protecting the traditional marriage and the rights of the unborn. this is a great straw poll to vote. colonel mcallister is a retired united states army general. he served honorably in the national guard and was on active duty for a total of 33 years between 1971 and 2005. he has worked with the physicians at biotech and

healthcare companies to improve the efficiencies in our health care systems. good years the university instructor, teaching students andt today's global economy business. colonel mcallister holds a b.a. from the university and is a graduate of the staff college and the army air war college and has completed a harvard program on senior executive leadership. colonel mike mcallister. [applause] >> what a fine looking group of

americans. when you look at the energy and excitement, no wonder the democrats are already getting scared. what a great day to be part of this fight to take america back. my name is mike mcallister. i am god-fearing, flag-waving, a pro-lifers conservative businessman running for united states senates. [applause] i want to recognize our seniors. you work and build this country with your blood and sweat and tears, and after the sacrifices you made, we must restore america to greatness and keep it there, and we cannot let you down, and i want to recognize the veterans' families who made the ultimate sacrifice. you are our nation's heroes. this is still the greatest

nation in the planet, and america is the last vulnerable power and protector of freedom and democracy around the world. i confident the report to you today our military is comprised of the best soldiers and marines of any country on the planet, and we must be sure washington has everything it needs to fight and survive in battle. as americans, you never need to feel second rate anywhere or ever go anywhere and hang your head. this country has saved the world as we know it today more than once, and i think we are tired of the president standing on foreign soil at bowling to muslim keenes, apologizing for who and what we are, and it is going to -- bowing to muslim kings, apologizing for who and

what we are, and it is going to stop. my student say, nobody likes america, and i say, list the countries everybody does like, and they cannot name any. i would like to refer to a british gentleman that said perhaps the best way to a measure of any nation is how many people want in and how many people want out, and i do not see anybody trying to get out of our country. recent months have sent a strong message to the world, enemies and allies. you want to test the resolve or the spirit of americans, and if you feel lucky today, bring it on. if you want to be a threat to this country, it does not matter how much it costs or how long it takes, we will hunt you down and eliminate you. my vision for america is

probably the same as many of yours. i wanted to be strong, saves, and respected around the world for who and what we are, and we have earned it. we have to have a strong economic future by getting government out of the way and america back open for business. to create jobs and bring industry back to america, a it is going to happen one way. we have to get people back to buying american-made goods and services. we got to get our companies back to work. that has to start with a business-friendly environment, which we do not have. we have to level the playing field against competitive nations. we have 2500 americans under employed. we have got to have lower taxes, less regulation, and tort reform, and then we are going to

look at where these jobs are. we need to do a complete value chain analysis of all industries that all our companies operate in florida and america, and we need to get them a plug in that industry and give incentives to american companies to hire other american companies. we get american companies back to work, and they will hire more americans and get our country back to work. we have got to protect our research and development with better treaties and trade agreement and stop letting other countries feel our wealth. we will have to eliminate waste and abuse and have tort reform so doctors and do not have to prescribe repeated test so so

they do not get sued. we are going to have to get the focus back on the product, which is the student, and the customer, which is the job market. we need to reach out to industry and have the more involved in a curriculum. we need to make sure we are teaching the skills and knowledge and expertise and curriculum the job market wants. we need them involved in development in these, and we need more academic credit for going into the workplace to learn how competitive if is, and they will come back and be better students. let's take a look of the serious threats facing america today. we are under attack everywhere we look. inside our country, uncontrolled spending by the federal government. it has got to stop, but just because the government cut spending does not mean they are

going to hire more people. no one is going to pay more for a product or service just because it is made by a union worker. failing education system is not keeping up with global competition. a federal government and ignoring the rights of our states. laws are handcuffing american productivity and spirit. we have communism working to hurt cohesiveness. you have money laundering, drug trafficking, and terrorism, rapid muslim aggression trying to expand into our classrooms, and growing market created for phony ids and phony registrations, and the liberals seem to think it is all ok. externally attacking us every day. the other 95% of the world that does not live here.

unfair trade practices by competitive nations with currency devaluations, stealing our proprietary technology that gives them an unfair advantage, taking our customers. this has resulted in loss of industry and jobs. global proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and renegade technology transfers to states like iran and china, and one day they will be facing us, the global war on terror and radical expansion of terror. the former soviet union with the vision of a grander. the global black market that has been created on drugs, money laundering, cyber as three nosh, pirates operating on the open

seas, and the u.n. initiative of government wanting to tell you where you are going to live and trying to take away your gun, so how are we going to protect ourselves against these seven ronald reagan had it right. you threaten us, you win, -- can we win, you lose. we have got to have a fully integrated comprehensive policy that returns respect around the world. it brings to bear all elements of national power into a unified effort that need six key pieces. first, an immigration policy that until the federal government does their job and allows the states to protect themselves and if there is a question, check to see if you are supposed to be here, and if

you are not supposed to be here, we are going to return you to your country at their expense, and no amnesty. this is not a garage sale of being an american citizen. we need an energy policy. we have to decrease our dependence on foreign oil. we need more nuclear energy, natural gas, and clean coal, and we need the department of energy working to facilitate this process instead of constantly blocking it. we need an economic policy. we need to spend less as a nation, and we need to make more money through competitiveness at selling our products throughout the world. we have got to address both sides of the balance sheet, not just our costs but our sales. we need to cut spending so we do not go through this mess every

year. we need to restore free markets to allow us to compete and win against foreign competition. we need to promote business start-ups, and then we need trade agreements that protect our jobs and technology, and we got to level the playing field against global technology. our ambassador teams are from a line of defense. we need to have no trade agreements with nations that breach our patents and steal our wealth or harbor terrorists and certainly no foreign aid to any country not standing side by side and with us at all times. we need a domestic policy here at home to protect america's homeland. we got to restore the constitution as law of the land. it is the law of the land.

we need to limit bargaining and government jobs, and when we do infrastructure development, it needs to be american the equipment and american workers. we have got to protect technologies such as nasa, and we need our employers to make sure our workers are in the system illegally. [applause] finally, we need a monetary policy. we must maintain the best military in the world to protect our citizens.

we manage it properly. we go in with overwhelming force. we shape the battlefield, kick their rear end, get the troops out, and follow up with an exit strategy that preserves the peace, and we take care of the troops while we are gone. we have got to continue this fight to take our country back. those of you that have the honor to were the uniform and to protect and defend the constitution of the united states against all enemies foreign and domestic. we need a president to protect the constitution and offended, and we have to replace those that are not doing what is right for america and future generations. we have to take care of the senate in 2012 with serious credentials to face the global threats. i get asked about the 10th

amendment, and i have a saying. we need a sign entering florida. you have -- you are entering a 10th amendment states, and justice will be served with the second amendment. we got to get a legal handcuffs off and let american ingenuity get back to work. through the illegal obama health care in the trash forever, restore the family as the pillar to our society, keep the ownership in the hands of american citizens and out of the hands of china and you win, and we have to stop because we do not need any other countries trying to tell us how to run this place. we got to stop giving money to unfriendly nations and use it to save social security and medicare. maybe fire janet nepal a channel -- janet of paul lozano

-- janet napolitano. and they need transparency. maybe we need a fair tax. we need to promote foreign markets antel companies where they can have their jobs and maybe eliminate the department of education and return it to the states. we have to stop this coming down of america and get back to the values that made as grave. we got to secure our borders. we got to save a clear message. being in the united states is a privilege and not a right, and if you want to be here, you got to be here illegally. if you want to live here, you need to be a contributor and not a taker. we have a process you need to respect and follow, and please learn to speak english.

this is a serious race that is going to shape our country for years to come, but i am going to ask you to make a serious decision when you vote. i am going to ask who you are facing these global threats protecting your children and grandchildren and this country. i am going to close with a quote from ronald reagan. freedom is never more than one generation from extinction. we did not pass from our children. it must be passed on for them to do the same. this is one nation under god. we must keep our great country strong, safe, and prosperous and stop those that want to take it away or give it away, and failure is not an option.

my job is to send barack obama packing. i want to thank you for letting me be her, friends. keep up the good work, and god bless america. [applause] ♪ >> i am sitting back there listening. we do not have a senator in the district of columbia. i am thinking about moving to florida. you should be pleased we do not have a senator in the district of columbia. i want to share in a role in your state. each day when anything big is going on, the news and opinions can be found at a

washingtontimes.com we have a marvelous radio show. we are extending news and information to florida and the rest of the country with a special point of view you would all pertinent -- you would all appreciate. i am encouraging you to go to 220e. one question is in your opinion what should be done with federal debt, raise taxes or cut spending? this is a great opportunity to vote for one of these guys and get your voice in on some things that are very important and can be shared with the rest of the country. the results of this whole are coming to fruition.

our fourth candidate is craig miller. craig was raised in a family where hard work and patriotism were instilled from an early age. his service during the united states air force in the vietnam war were commanded with rank of staff sgt. mr. miller received a bachelor's degree in business administration from florida university, now the university of central florida, which i understand has the best cheerleading squad. miller spent most of his life working at red lobster. restaurants, and most recently he was the chief executive officer of the steak house, so now you know his connection with sean hannity. during that time, he had led the company through record growth and profits. he has served the state of

florida in multiple capacities, was appointed to the state's tourism commissioner and has served in the board of trustees. mr. millar presides not far from here with his wife and children, and they recently became grandparents. craig miller. [applause] >> good afternoon, everyone. we have heard three find new republican conservatives talking to us. what you are now going to hear is a business person and not a politician. my name is craig miller, and i am applying for the john, so you are going to interview me from

the great state of florida. when you hear from a business person, you hear from a totally different perspective. we fought the things you also are fighting today. we are fighting against bigger government. as a business person, i come from a different place than the folks you heard from earlier today, but let me take you back a few years from where my life started. my dad was orphaned when he was 8 years old.

my mom grew up in south carolina. two people could not have started their lives in any lower running of the latter. -- any lower rung of the latter than my parents. we all share things like self- reliance. it is things like when you take toob, do the best you carn make sure you can not only provide for your family, but you can provide for the future of the family you have. that is where i came from. my dad moved the family in 1963 when he went to work for nasa,

and i grew up on the thanks of indian river, watching our great country and our race to get to the moon. i graduated in the late 1960's. not everyone volunteered to be in the military service and what did not the opportunity to possibly go to college. i joined the united states air force. i thought i would see the world. they send me right here in orlando. i said, i am going to show those guys would service really is, so i volunteered. 9 went to vietnam in 196 during an unpopular war. that is a long time ago. it seems like a lifetime ago that i served there, but you

always carry with you the pride and knowledge that comes from having done that as part of your life. i think our country misses something when so few people have had the opportunity to serve their country as i did. i thank all the veterans, all the people who chose to serve in the military of our fine country. upon returning from vietnam, guess where they sent me? patrick air force space. so i took a job in central florida.

i get a degree in accounting. i took that opportunity given me by where i came from, the type of parents i have, the principles i come from common -- i come from, and i turned it into a fantastic career in the food industry. i like to think i could better pizza. unos does have a better piece of land godfather's, and herman will admit that, but i served in the national restaurant association, but at the end of my term, i joined a small company in boston, and over 17 years we built the business to a $400 million system, and along the way, we had to knock down

barriers constantly being placed in front adust us in order to get ahead and grow our business. i went on to become chairman and ceo of steakhouse. if you have never had one of our sakes, have one. it is fantastic. when you see someone like myself standing in front of you, after listening to a couple of career professionals under professor make a speech, let me tell you from my hardware craig miller comes from. -- from i heart where craig miller comes from. .

recognizes the gentleman from which is currently numbers,

september 26. the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. mcconnell: reserving the right to object and the indulgence of my good friend, the majority leader, let me make brief remarks about where we are. for anyone who's confused about what's going on in congress right now, let me make it easy. in order to keep the government running beyond next week, congress needs to pass a short-term bill that funds government operations at a spending level both parties can agree to. the good news is we've already

agreed on a spending level. that's already been done. last night the house of representatives passed a bill that meets that figure that we agreed on a couple of months ago. here's the holdup: because of some of the horrible weather we've had over the past several weeks, we've all agreed to add emergency funds that we didn't originally plan in this bill, and republicans identified a couple of cuts to make sure we don't make the deficit any bigger than it already is, including an offset that leader pelosi has used in the past. the rest is from a cut to a loan guarantee program that gave us the solyndra scandal. now i think we can all agree that this program should be put on hold until we get more answers, but our friends on the other side don't like the idea. they'd rather just add these

funds to the deficit. why? because they say that's the way we've always done things around here. well, i think there's a lesson we can draw from the debates we've been having here over the last six months, is that the american people won't accept that excuse any longer. the whole "that's the way we've always done it" argument is the reason we've got a $14 trillion debt right now. if we pass this bill fema will have the funds they need -- have the funds they need -- to respond to these emergencies. that's not the issue here. what's at issue is whether we're going to add to the debt or not. we have a path forward to get disaster funding done right here today. there's absolutely no reason, in my judgment, to delay funding for disasters until monday, as my opinion friend, the majority leader, is now asking us to do. i don't think we ought to delay at all. now we just received the

amendment a few minutes ago, but we're aware of what it does. and i think it's important for us to try to resolve this issue sooner rather than later. let's just walk through the next few days. if we don't have this vote until monday, then that leaves 24 hours or so before the jewish holidays begin, and then several days before the end of the fiscal year. it strikes me that we'd be better off to go ahead and have this vote now and enter into the discussions that will probably now be delayed until sometime monday night to see how we can resolve this impasse between the house and senate. we'd be happy to have the cloture vote on my friend, the majority leader's proposal right now rather than monday night so we can get a clear sense of where we stand. so it's my view that we ought to

have the vote today rather than wait until monday and basically squander the next few days toward getting an agreement we know we have to reach. therefore, mr. president -- and i thank my friend the majority leader for letting me explain my position, i object. mr. reid: mr. president? the presiding officer: objection is heard. mr. reid: mr. president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. reid: first of all, my friend, i'm sure understands that this great piece of legislation that was sent to us by the house received 36 votes over here. it was tabled on a bipartisan basis. mr. president, the matter that's now before the senate is really a nice piece of legislation. it funds the government till november 18. that's what the house wanted. it also has money in the bill to

take care of fema, and we recognize that even though we passed a bill here with bipartisan support that had $6.9 billion, which we believe is an appropriate figure, in an effort to compromise in this c.r., we have the number that the house thinks is a better number. that's what is before us. and so, mr. president, my suggestion to my friend -- and he is my friend -- is that the two democratic leaders, reid and pelosi, the two republican leaders -- mcconnell and boehner -- should cool off a little bit, work through this. there's a compromise here, and the compromise is now before the senate. everyone once in a while needs a little cooling off period. the government is not shutting down. fema is not out of money. we'll come here money. more reasonable heads will

prevail and i would hope over the weekend that the four leaders can lead their troops in the right direction. so i again ask unanimous consent the vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to concur with the amendment occur at 5:30 p.m. monday september 26. the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. mcconnell: mr. president, reserving the right to object, obviously here in the senate we would have a 60-vote vote, and that's what we will have monday afternoon. i see no reason why we shouldn't advance that to now so that it can be clear whether or not this measure would pass the senate. i'm pretty confident it will not. and i don't see any purpose to be served by delaying the outcome of that, making the outcome clear to monday when we can have a clear outcome today. therefore i object. mr. reid: mr. president? the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. reid: thank you, mr. president. first of all, we have a piece of

legislation at the desk that takes care of all the issues. it takes care of funding -- it takes care of the c.r. until after october 1. it also takes care of fema for the forseeable future. that's a nice piece of legislation. it's not our number. it's the house number. so i ask unanimous consent the reid motion to concur on the house amendment to the senate amendment h.r. 2608 with amendment 656 be agreed to, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid on the table with no intervening action or debate, and any statements relating to this bill be placed in the record at the appropriate place as if read. in fact, what we're asking here is that the c.r. with the fema language be passed. the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. mcconnell: mr. president, we'll have that vote on monday. i object. the presiding officer: socks lettered. mr. reid: i renew my request.

the vote is monday, is that right? i would tell everyone, mr. president, as my friend said, we'll have the vote on monday. we'll keep the vote open if people are really pressed on planes. i'll work with the republican leader and make sure s protected as much as possible. the presiding officer: is there objection to th the renewd recognizes the y?

gentleman from which is currently numbers,

unworkable.

.

>> so the distance from the proposed site to connect the pipeline would be within 60 miles or less? >> yeah, it will be a lot less than that, yes. >> that would be your transmission to sending the oil down to prudhome down to the valdez. >> yeah, i think to the border

on the river of arctic national wild life refuge is about 40 miles. >> you know, obviously people want to make their point. i guess i'll make mine. first of all, i think that we need to use all the energy tools in our energy tool box. we have a bipartisan bill that would do that, that i think talks about a robust, renewable portfolio. but at the same time, takes advantage of our oil and gas reserve that exists within the united states, both on shore and off shore. i guess there's a lot of myth busting to take place and i was interested to hear mr. karpinsky and mr. jenkins, the analogy used about if coal were

determined to be found under el capitan. i used to represent yosemite national park, and i can ensure you if there were cole found under there, we wouldn't be going after that. but i think it's a real unfair to comparison to talk about that and anwr. anwr is not the brooks range. a poster child that you bring out all the time. and i know it's been a good, successful fundraiser for several decades, the beautiful brooks range with the deer and the elk and the grizzly bears and the salmon. and that area was set aside to be protected and should be protected. it is, i think, correspondingly the other parts of alaska that are protected under the wilderness law much that's not anwr. it's an arctic plain. it is an area that is an arctic

desert. i don't need to you make a point. i was there. you have not been there. >> i camped on the river, soy been there, and i was on that plain, and it was the most amazing experience i've ever had, so i have been there. >> well, we can agree to disagree. if you cannot drill there safely, and this is where the comparative analysis gets lost, because we're talking about drilling at 2,000 and 6,000 feet of ocean depth, where the costs are much greater and the risks are much higher, and that's the comparative analysis we ought to be using. if you can't drill safely in the footprint on anwr that is being proposed, you can't drill safely anywhere in america. you just ought to stop, you ought to forget it. i mean, there's a whole different agenda. i disagree with the agenda on why you don't want that area disturbed, and let's just be frank about it. i mean, we've created this myth

that, in fact, we're going into the brooks range. we're not. we've created this myth that we're going to irrevocably change that area any more than we've changed prudhoe bay. i represent a large oil production area in california. we have 25 platforms off the coast of california. that gets ignored. reasonable people ought to be able to come to some conclusion. if you can't drill there safely, you can't drill anywhere in america safely. thank you, mr. chairman. >> thanks for going to alaska and actually visiting alaska. mr. duncan of south carolina. >> thank you, mr. chairman. thank you, guys, for traveling back east to be part of this. mr. hall, i'm not asking how much you weigh, but i want to say i enjoy the show, be careful out there.

you guys have some challenges, and i appreciate you coming today to talk with us. mr. karpinsky, what do you think is a fair price for americans to pay for a gallon of gasoline? >> excuse me, a fair price? a what you do you think americans should pay for a gallon? that's a simple question. >> we subsidize some of the price. i don't know it's a fair price depending on all the technologies to get there and who pays for that. frankly, we'd like to see prices lower and technologies better. >> a dollar figure, what do you think personally -- >> i don't have a particular number. i used to pay 33 cents a gallon. prices will go up. it's a commodity we're going to have less and less of. the solution to our energy problem is to reduce our dependence on it. we need technologies to go further on a gallon of gas. that's how we solve this problem, not by drilling in special, beautiful places.

>> i wanted to see what you thought in relation to what secretary chu. he thought we ought to pay european prices, and he said $ to $8 was fair for america. my wife sent a text message last night that said hickory gas station in south carolina was $3.11, mings client. she was excited, $3.11 a gallon. i sent her one back, and i said o.m.g., please fill up. she said -- hold on, sir -- she said, sir, isn't that pathetic that we think that that is cheap? this is real life. the dialogue between my wife and i about $3.11 a gallon gasoline in this country, and we're thinking that's cheap. >> would the gentleman yield? i appreciate that, because we're paying $8 a gallon in alaska. if you think that's smart,

believe me, you can't even drive a snow machine with that price, so thank you. >> that's amazing, mr. chairman. we are blessed in this country with the energy resources, and i firmly believe that energy is a segue to job creation, and that's what this hearing is about, about jobs. increased u.s. domestic energy production means jobs, there's no doubt about it. look at the economies where there's energy-driven state economies, texas, north dakota, and alaska, unemployment is low, revenues are high. more americans working mean fewer americans relying on the government services and a lessened burden on state and local communities, state governments. energy is definitely a segue to job creation. lass lags is doing well, as you guys can see. mr. karpinsky, are you a member of ducks unlimited? >> no. national wildlife federation.

>> ducks inlimited? >> quail unlimited? >> no. >> rooblingy mountain federation. >> no. >> quality deer management? >> no. >> conservationists have given more money, hunters, fishermen, others, have given more money to set aside land for conservation than a lot of other organizations that are out there that hold themselves up as conservation organizations. i want to make that point very, very clear. the anwr area was set aside in 1980. the anwr area was set aside in 1980 by jimmy carter. president carter then and congress set aside area 1,002 for oil and natural gas development. around that same time, 1978, 1980, the department of energy was created to lessen our dependence on middle eastern oil. they knew that we needed to have domestic energy production

that lessened our dependence on countries who may not be friendly to the united states. we've got the resources here in this country. we recognize that area as an area that had oil and natural gas resources at that time. we heard the governor say that there's capacity in the pipeline. let's just drill the oil. let's drill the natural gas. let's use those resources, send them to the lower 48 to be refined, whether refined, and i want to ask mr. rexford, interesting in your comment that you said the benefits that you would receive in your area, water and flushed toilets, from having the revenues from these areas that would benefit your community. thank you for saying that. y'all understand that the revenues are there. that oil and natural gas resources are there. thank you for bringing your perspective to this committee to really bring it home on what it means to the livelihood of

the native alaskans. thank you. >> thank you. i'd like to recognize the representative from california. >> thank you, mr. chairman. this issue has been kicked around for near round 50 years. and during that period of time, the american people, through their representatives, have recognized an extraordinary value in wilderness. there are, indeed, sacred places, and there are places that may have resource potential, but they also have potential of simply being what they are, undeveloped, natural, a place for wildlife and mosquitoes, but not a place where we would extract resources.

anwr is such a place. it's unique. there is no other place on this planet like anwr. doesn't exist. this is it. this is the last that there is. is it worth a few days of oil supply for this nation? to spoil it? i think not. and thus far the american people have said let's leave it the way it is. the way it came to us, natural, undisturbed. that's something very, very special that the american people have decided over the years, not just here, but other places, including the smoky mountains, to say, let's leave it the way it is. let's let it be there for all of the future generations in its natural state, for those creatures that have been there for years, including the ducks.

let's leave it there. and yes, there are people who live there. and your community is one of them. oil development is taking place in this region. we know that the shell is exploring offshore. it will soon be exploring offshore, and that will have a dramatic effect on all that we discuss here. there may be transportation facilities as a result of that exploration in this region. there may be offshore oil development in this region. we know that exxon has just cut a deal with the russian oil company to explore not so far away. many things are happening in the arctic. and there is one place where things should not happen, and that's anwr.

now, will this oil be made available for the american public? maybe. but maybe not. it was 1995 that the original law was changed that allows oil that flows through the transalaskan pipeline to be exporteded, and in fact, it is exported. how much is going to be exported? we don't know. not too much today, but you add another 5500,000 barrels a day, and you're going to see more exports available to the american public, not if it's exported. the oil industry is an international market and the price is determined on the international market. and we pay accordingly. other countries are increasing their demand, so figure that into the equation. some places are sacred.

some places should not be developed. i understand the desire of those who live in the area for jobs. but in the long run, there are other jobs that could be available, and there certainly will be just to the west of anwr is the prudhoe bay development. just to the west of that is an area much, much larger than anwr that was set aside more than a century ago, nearly a century ago, for oil development and oil exploration, and that is underway today. so why anwr? so that we can fight an unending battle here over a very special part of this planet? for what? leave it alone. let it be what it has always

been, natural, undisturbed. i yield back. >> the chair would now represent the representative from texas for five minutes. >> thank you. gentlemen of the panel, i thank you for joining us today. i'd like to give you my background because i have some understanding behalf each of you do. i'm a former oil and gas entrepreneur and executive. i'm also an investor in biofuel technology and an inventor in fuel cell technology. i want to clarify that none of those use government-guaranteed loans when did i that. i'm the largest residential producer of solar power, so i think i have an understanding of conventional energy resources and also alternative energy resources. i have driven the dalton highway. i have been behind some large stretches for miles on end, but i've been there, i've been to

the north slope. i have been first hand the peaceful coexist he wants of i've seen also firsthand the dramatic impact ofental, as wel estate foot presents that have happened with oil and gas exploration, and that's one of the things that makes drilling anpr worth looking at today. early on in one of our hearings here, one of the speakers said something about parallel universes. you know, we do have parallel universes. i'm hearing it today on one hand, and universe one, we've got the production of safe, secure, efficient supplies of domestic energy. we can produce good-paying american jobs. we can help balance the federal budget. we can grow a robust economy and strength up our national security as part of that process.

on the other hand, in universe two, we can rip off the taxpayers by picking winners and losers with projects like solyndra, rip off the taxpayer by freezing their assets they own off our shores. we can also rip off future generations with continuing huge deficits in our federal budget, and we can rip off all americans today by not giving them the chance. how the current status in the united states of national wildlife reserves. there are 150-plus wildlife reserves in the united states that have 4,400 oil and gas wells on them, and there's been no significant, adverse environmental impact to any of those. and closer to home in texas, not an area i represent, but my neighbor to the southwest, we've got the national wildlife reserve that's the home of over 100-plus wells and a growing population of an endangered species called the whooping

cranes. for those of you that want to guess about gasoline prices, let me say that you're way off base. when i exited the drilingts business to go into this job -- when i exilted the drilling business to go into this job to try to improve the future for my children and grandchildren, natural gas was selling at about $5. today it's about $3.80, and that's because of technology and abundant drilling for this resource in this country. it's not just a few pennies. it's a significant change because supply and demand, the laws of economics work. for those of thaw think taxes are the solution to balance our budget, why don't we just go to apple and say, we're going to raise your taxes, but in return for raising your taxes, we want to you produce more ipads and at a lower cost. the same thing the president said on monday. we want to raise the taxes on the job createtors and have

them produce more jobs. folks, those dogs don't hunt, we know that. mr. rexford, my question is for you, you said something, and i'm going to take a quote, you said you're familiar with this issue and you've been fighting the misrepresentation of the opposition for over 15 years. why don't you walk us through those misrepresentations? >> yes, the gentleman to my left here talked about conditioning river. canning river is on the outskirts of anwr, the border of the arctic national wildlife refuge is on the east bank, and he's traveling on the canning river. so, you know, canning river is barely in the arctic national wildlife refuge. one other one that i really want to talk about is polar bears.

the u.s. fish and wildlife service within not only the arctic national wildlife refuge, and the gentleman talked about the state center ready for leasing. the u.s. fish and wildlife service designated polar bear protection that's 20 miles, and it's like from the state of washington all the way down to california, from the coastline to 20 miles inland. so it's going to be a big hindrance to our people. you know, i've been born and raised or reared by my folks, not to put my people down and respect their opinion, and, you know, that's just the kind of person that we are in the arctic slope. congressman young was asking questions, but the myth --

porcupine, they commingle with the central arctic herd. this occurred about eight years ago. that's near point barrel. they commingled with porcupines and caribou herds. so saying that the porcupine and caribou herd is going to reduce or decline, millions of other caribou commingled with each other. so porcupine and caribou herd is not in that area, so the herd also goes over in central over near barrel. that's over 300 miles away. >> thank you. mr. sharpe, you represent union personnel -- >> i think i have to cut the question short. i yield back. sorry about that. now i'd like to recognize mr.

markey. >> thank you, mr. chairman, very much, and a apologize for being late to this hearing. senator kennedy's daughter passed away. the funeral was this morning. it was an absolutely beautiful service for her. and i rushed here as quickly as i could after the completion of that service. the supercommittee has been charged with reducing our deficit. in order to begin getting our nation's budget back on track, this committee has the authority and the responsibility to make recommendations to the supercommittee for ways to reduce the deficit. in response, the republican majority is once again looking to drill in the pristine arctic

national wildlife refuge in alaska. they are proposing to open up the crown jewel of the wildlife refuge system to drilling. unfortunately, drilling would do very little to reduce our deficit in the next 10 years. according to the department of energy, oil production from the arctic refuge wouldn't even begin for 10 years. as a result, the congressional budget office has said that drilling in the refuge would only generate $3 billion during the first 10 years from official lease sales, would be a drop in the bucket of the overall reductions which our country needs. in contrast, the democratic proposals to ensure oil companies pay their fair share would generate nearly $60 billion over that same 10-year

period. the oil and gas industry is swimming, while our country is swimming in debt. the top five oil companies have made $71 billion in just the first six months of this year. but the republican majority has opposed repealing unnecessary tax breaks for the oil and gas industry that would generate more than $43 billion over the next 10 years. the republican majority has also opposed ending royalty-free drilling on public lands off shore in the gulf of mexico, closing that loophole could raise $9.5 billion over the next 10 years. incentivizing companies to drill on the millions of acres of public land, which they already hold would generate

nearly $1 billion. in fact, oil companies are just sitting on more oil than we could ever get of the arctic refuge, according to the department of interior. there's more oil under the lease that oil companies already have from the american people that are not being used offshore than they are ever likely to fight in the arctic refuge. this would generate an additional $1.9 billion over the next 10 years, increasing inspection fees for the oil industry as the b.p. commission has recommended would generate another $500 million over the next decade. increasing the royalty rate oil companies pay to drill on public land would generate an additional $900 million. all told, over the next 10 years, these democratic ideas would reduce our deficit 20

times as much as opening up the arctic refuge to drilling wood. to put it in perspective, if these democratic ideas were the height of the empire state building, the republican plan to drill in the refuge would occupy the first five floors in terms of solving the deficit problem. we need a plan to begin reducing our deficit in the short term, not short-sighted giveaways of our most pristine areas. the republican plan to open up the arctic national wildlife refuge to drilling would not offer us any refuge from red ink, it amounts to little more than an opportunistic giveaway to the oil industry and is a distraction from the real solution, which this committee should be pursuing in order to

reduce the federal deficit, and we await those hearings that we have in this committee on that subject. i yield back the balance of my time. >> ok, thank you representative markey. i now recognize representative landry for five minutes. >> thank you, mr. chairman. you know, it's amazing because for the amount of money that they want to take away from oil and gas industry, the oil and gas industry is poised to spend and invest just in america five times that amount at a time when we want to create jobs. mr. hall, i just -- you can finish for a second. i just want to know, are you as tired as i am of hearing -- turning the tv on and hearing how washington really wants to create jobs?

are you as tired of hearing that song and dance as i am? >> yes, i am. i would like to see it happen. >> me, too. i am tired too. in fact, during the president's speech on how he wanted to create jobs, i had a little sign up that said drilling equals jobs. would you disagree that drilling equals jobs? >> it would equal a lot of jobs. i should have held one up that said anwr equals jobs. and we are in need of a lot of jobs, is that correct? >> desperately. and mr. sharp, would you agree with that as well? >> we're ready to go to work, yes, sir. >> and so, if the priority of this country, not what we would like -- i mean, there are a lot of things -- mr. hall, from you louisiana, right? >> that's correct. >> so i know that your mama taught you the difference between wants and needs. she always said, look, we going to get you what you want -- i

mean, week get you what you need, and then if there's some left over, we'll get you what you want. >> that's the way it was on the farm i grew up on. well, i can tell you that what we need in this country is jobs. what we want is we want a utopia world where everything stays just like it was when the country was founded, and that's nice, and i appreciate that. but i think we've come a long way in being able to balance the industry with the environment. i really do. the number one priority is creating jobs, so let's gets the drilling, let's get reducing the cost of our energy, which brings me up to -- i can't see that.

you mentioned that drilling is not going to lower the cost at the pump. that is correct, that's what you said. >> that's based on on a study. >> so you agree with that study? >> yes. >> ok, so did you support the president tapping into the strategic petroleum reserve? >> i think our organization was neutral on that at the time, quite frankly. >> it was neutral? wait, if you don't want us to tap into a natural reserve, why would you -- and using the fact that it doesn't reduce the cost at the pump, why would tapping into an artificial reserve reduce the cost? isn't that a bit hypocritical? >> i thought i said we didn't take a position on that. >> but you take a position on this. >> i'm stating the government fact on what the impact would be -- >> but you have an argument, is that not correct? >> the government study -- >> how can you take a neutral

position on whether or not the president should tap into that, but use the fact that -- when i zpuse that fact. let me just put that on the record. >> i'm citing the government data on that. >> then why would -- why would tapping into the strategic petroleum reserve be any different? >> i didn't make that case. you can ask someone who supported that. >> but i'm asking -- >> i'm making the case. i'm making the case. the reason you don't drill in the arctic, and the reason proper to drilling in the arctic is how it's going to lower the price of gasoline. we know that's just not true. the reason not to drill in the arctic is because it's a special place. >> what you're saying the strat logic are. but the president went out there and said that when you increase supply, ok, when you increase the supply, you affect the market. that's basic. i'm not going to dispute that.

i just think there's a natural reserve, it's in the gulf of mexico, i'm with congressman markey in that there's a lot of reserves in the gulf of mexico. we just need to start permitting. >> i wish you'd see where we actually should find revenues. if we're really serious, the revenues from the oil and gas companies at this moment are there t. that's where we should be tapping. that's makes much more sense. it does not destroy a beautiful place. and that's where we should go. we support that, and that's the solution that we believe in. >> thank you. i recognize the ranking member of the full committee for five minutes for questions. >> thank you so, so much. mr. karpinsky, one of the answers could be that mr. landry did not support using

the strategic petroleum reserve, so perhaps he doesn't agree with whether or not that infusion of oil actually does lower prices, which would then support your argument, if you wanted to make that, but i guess -- >> thank you. >> the real case is that -- the real case is that all of the evidence that was pointing toward speculators at that one point in time, you know, driving up the price art traditionally is looking over a long period of time, you know, in determining that there is a very marginal impact, which the arctic refuge oil would play on the price of oil. so let me go back to you. in terms of this issue of over the next 10 years, which is what we're tasked to do, to reduce the federal deficit, is it worth it to drill in the arctic wildlife refuge to find

$3 billion worth of revenues given the pristine nature of the arctic wildlife refuge and the very small amount of money that would be raised as a result of that, mr. jenkins? >> well, is he -- we certainly think not. people are throwing around terms in terms of what kind of jobs would come from developing the refuge. it seems like these numbers are are based on -- they're not based on reserves that we know are there. they're based on speculative reserves. if you're talking about something as serious as reducing our deficit, you need to hang your hat on something a little more solid than unproven oil reserves that may or may not be in the refuge. to your point, yes, this is a very special place.

it was set aside by president ice unhour, not jimmy carter, as an impact to the ecosystem. implicitly in that was, you know, the eisenhower administration knew they were going to allow more oil exploration in the prudhoe bay area, and we saw putting aside the refuge as representing balance that refuge included the 1002 area. >> so, mr. karpinsky, the oil companies made $36 bill i don't understand in profits in the last three months of the year, april, may, and june, but they spent $10 billion of their profits buying back shares of their own stock. in order to artificially raise the price. they spent $7 billion issuing dividends to their investors. over the next decade, repealing the tax breaks for the oil and gas industry would generate more than 10 times the revenue that we would get by drilling in the arctic refuge. do you think that the

supercommittee should repeal the tax breaks for the oil industry? >> absolutely. we've stated that on the record many times. i stated it earlier today. because clearly we do need new revenues, and we do want to create more jobs. drilling the arctic is not a solution to either one of those, but in terms of raising new revenues, an industry -- those five made nearly a trillion dollars in the last 10 years. to remove those subsidies and tax breaks for oil and gas industry makes a lot of sense, and as your chart shows, 20 times as much money from those sources at a time when they're gouging consumers at the pump, this is the time to take that kind of action, to be serious about deficit reduction, and to create -- the other part of the way we reduce our cost here is, again, the technology -- and technology is important. technology in the long run, we need to get -- reduce our reliance on oil. the way you do that is with the

new technology in the automotive industry. i stood there with president obama three weeks ago when' announced a plan for the next 15 years to have cars go further on a gallon of gas. that's the vision for the future. we're going to run out of oil, there's no doubt about that. we need to get off of oil, and new technology can help us do that. and all 10 auto companies were there on that podium with the president. this is the way to create jobs for the future. those are the new energy jobs. >> thank you. mr. chairman, as you know, the budget control act of 2011 provides that "not later than october 14, 2011, each committee of the house of representatives and the senate may transmit to the joint committee its recommendations for changes in law to reduce the deficit, consistent with the goal of reducing the deficit by at least $1.5 trillion by 2021." given the enormity of this task, it's important to our nation's future, it's imperative the national resources committee exercise this authority thoughtfully and

in an expeditious and transparent matter. there's recommendations for the joint select committee but has received no response. i wrote to the chairman on monday to formally request that he schedule -- i ask that i be given one additional minute like mr. flores was granted. >> we have to keep moving. >> parliamentary inquiry, mr. chairman? >> do you want to submit something for the record? >> yes, i've had my staff -- can i explain my objection? i have not had a chance to ask questions yet. you know, the ranking member has been in and out, just like i have, has had a chance, so i'd be more than happy to yield you the minute at the end of my questioning. >> it's only -- and i appreciate that very much.

it's only that mr. flores was just given an additional minute and 50 seconds, and i only need like an extra 20 seconds to finish and that was -- >> i mean, i was not keeping -- when i was listening to the majority members, as long as it's a good line of thought going, i don't stop people on that minute. >> mr. markey, i was letting the witness fin, a question. mr. flores wasn't going on. when he started to go on, i gaveled him in. >> well, i'm not even a witness. i'm finishing my thought that i had begun before my time expired. i'm just trying to -- >> well, you've had 10 minutes so far. >> again, i guess i can wait until the end of -- >> i think that would be the best way to handle it. that would be fine. >> and now i'd like to recognize myself for five minutes for questions. mr. rexford, by the way, thank

you all for your patience. we're in the home stretch. we'll be done in just a few minutes. can you tell me how many hotels there are in kaktovic for tourists coming in to visit anwr? are there any hotels in your town? >> yes, we do. we have one brand-new one and one small one. >> how many rooms are in it? >> 10. >> ok, thank you. >> ok, moving on here, do you think that the 2,000 acres that this bill refers to could be developed out of anwr without injuring the wildlife in this national wildlife area? >> yes. >> and do you believe that 2,000-acre footprint out of 19 million acres would destroy

this place? i put quotes around "destroy this place" as one of the other witnesses said earlier. >> no, i don't. >> ok, thank you. mr. jenkins, do you seriously think -- first let me reface by some information that mr. rexford added earlier in his written testimony, the central arctic caribou herd was around 3,000, now it's up to 65,000, about a 22-fold increase. the porcupine, caribou herd is now about 169,000 strong. there are other herds apparently, and do you think, do you seriously think, mr. jenkins, we're talking about a wildlife refuge, the natural

natural national wildlife refuge, that a 2,000-acre footprint would damage the caribou herds or other wildlife in the refuge? >> first i dispute the 2,000-acre footprint part. i don't know if you were here earlier, but the whole analogy of a table and measuring four legs was used. but, you know, the oil exists in the refuge according to usgs in various pockets that stretch through the entire expanse. if you're going to access that oil, you have to have pipelines to connect that back to wherever you're taking it to. there's no way that you can access all that and actually bring it to market and actually be within a 2,000-acre footprint. it's just physically impossible given what usgs tells us about where the oil is. now, with respect to the caribou herds, the central

arctic herd, one, it occupies an area where the coastal plain is much larger than the arctic refuge. but two, the porcupine caribou herd does this migration from canada over to the small part of the coastal plain. that coastal plain is their refuge where they give birth. so it's a different situation, and it's also a different situation because the refuge on the eastern side of the north slope is more arid. it's a different type of environment than over in the central and western arctic to a certain degree. and i would refer you to a letter that 1,000 scientists sent to president bush some years back all arguing, including the national academy of sciences, that oil drilling on the coastal plain of the arctic refuge, which is the refuge, would indeed adversely impact wildlife. those are the experts.

i'm not an expert, but i do trust their opinion. thank you. >> i would now yield or now recognize mr. harris for five minutes. >> thank you very much. i'd be more than happy to yield to the ranking member, but i don't think he's available. if i have time at the end, i'll be more than happy to yield him a minute. let me just ask -- mr. sharp, the testimony from mr. karpinsky was this is not going to create revenue. >> that's not correct. >> i believe you said if what we want to do is create jobs or raise revenue, that's want the way to do it. >> i said it will create jobs -- that's not the way to do it, sir. >> and i'll get to you in a second, believe me. that is not -- you see, that's the problem. that's the hyperbole the chairman talked about. that's why we're told that the stimulus created jobs, and we know objective it will didn't.

that's why we know all republicans are out to push granny off the cliff because of the hyperbole that your side engages in. mr. sharp, how many jobs do you think we could create? what's the range of jobs? if we opened up without exception under current -- if we allowed this to proceed, how many jobs? what do you think? >> congressman -- >> i mean local jobs. i don't mean the down stream effect in the lower 48, because there are a lot of those. >> there's the seasonal approach and then there's the legacy job approach, depending on how you look at it. that's that which maintains the operations of the field over time assuming it opens up, i think it was misreported about the 19,000 jobs. in alaska right now, the whole oil to gas industry has about 13,000 to 14,000 jobs by state department labor figures. that being said, the construction would be huge. it would put a lot of people to work, hundreds of thousands.

that would include the downstream side also. that's in fairbanks, alaska, we had 11,000 people on our books. we are one of four pipeline unions, one of 14 building trade unions. if you were to multiply that out depending on the engineering and time it would be needed to do the construction of that oil field, times x amount of years, it would be huge. >> thank you very much. there are people who are out of work who would have jobs, and, you know, at some point that is important, i hope to both sides of the aisle. mr. karpinsky, did you espouse increasing tax by way of decreasing consumption? >> no, we've not been involved in that conversation. >> i'm glad you haven't, because you used the word gouge for what oil companies do, and yet the tax take on a gallon of tax is far greater than the

profit. you are aware of that, the amount of taxes collected on a gallon of gas is greater than the profits from oil companies. you're aware of that? >> i've seen some data that suggests that though. >> some data, ok. their profits are 8% on the dollar, and the gallon of gas is $3.50. if you do the math -- so do you also agree that governments gouge the consumers? it's exactly the -- in fact, it's actually more. is that gouging? >> the gouge goes to -- >> it's a very simple question. >> gouging goes -- >> when private companies -- >> $1 trillion in the last 10 years -- >> excuse me -- can i ask the witness a question? >> you asked a question. i get to answer. >> thank you. it's reply time, not your time. you had your time, i have mine. when the government ask it, it's not gouging when a private company does it, it's gouging. i fully understand exactly where your side comes from on

this. >> mr. harris, would you like to yield the last minute -- >> yeah, but i still have about eight seconds here. and i guess you should ask mr. karpinsky to yield back some of that time. are oil companies the corporations in america that have the largest profit margin? >> profit margin? >> sure. do you know what a profit margin in? in your business you don't have one because you don't actually dab >> that's correct. we are a nonprofit. >> that's right. do you know what a profit margin is? >> i do not think they are the largest profit margin. what i'm talking about is their record-breaking profits. record-breaking profit that they make. >> do you know that the largest company's profit was? do you know who earned more than chevron last quarter? apple computer. in fact, they have the largest profit margin, 22 cents on every dollar as opposed to oil. now, is your group talking about the gouging that goes on from electronics companies? when you go to an apple store?

it's a rhetorical question. i yield the balance of my time to mr. markey. >> i now recognize the representative -- >> yield the balance of my time. >> i can wait. i can wait. >> if you have a minute for the ranking member at some point. >> if i have a minute left, i'll be happy to. the argument we seem to have heard by the majority against the notion of drilling in anwr first is it's going to take a long, long time to bring this to market. of course, as mr. harris pointed out, the jobs are immediate. that remooneds me of the story of general de gaulle, who ordered oak trees planted at his provisional headquarters. they said, general, it's going to take a century for those oak trees to grow to maturity. and de gaulle's response was,

well, then don't waste any more time. the other argument that we hear is that the supply that is going to be produced is minimal on a global scale, it isn't really worth looking at, and this is the one place we were told by a member, the one place on the planet we shouldn't be drilling. the problem is, if you asked them about drilling off the gulf coast, the answer is no. how about drilling offshore? the answer is no. how about drilling onshore generally? the answer is no. how about developing our vast shale reserves that are three times the size of the proven reserves in saudi arabia, the answer is no. how about running a pipeline from canada that is developing its shale oil reserves, the answer is no. so what they are actually arguing is to shut down oil production in the united

states. councilman rexford, perhaps you can help me, how do we lessen our dependence on foreign oil by prohibiting the development of our domestic supplies? >> i have no idea how that would happen. >> i have no idea either. and the sad thing is, neither do they. we've talked about the drilling footprint of how much land would be -- the footprint for drilling compared to the size -- the total expanse of anwr. i've been told that proportionally it is a postage stamp on a football field. is that accurate? a thaw sounds about accurate. >> the drilling footprint on anwr would be as a poster stamp is to an entire football field. but that's the one place we shouldn't be drilling, we are told.

i find that amazing. mr. karpinsky, what is your alternative? >> couple of things. one is the oil and gas have -- >> no, no, what is your alternative? >> 38 million acres that they've leased. first thing, 22 million of those are not being exploited now. number one, in terms of drilling, we're not against that. that would be silly, we've never said that, but first go to the lease they already have. over half they're not using. >> they're not using because they're being blocked by permits that are endless. >> that's want correct. you reduce your reliance on oil by reducing the demand, most of the oil that's used. we need a new vision of a new future which puts us in exactly what -- >> and what is this new kind of automobile? do you have it in production? >> the simplest version right

now are hybrids on the road, are much more efficient. we're going to go from 30 miles a gallon to 55 miles per gallon. >> and how are we to generate the electricity for this? because when we try to put in new conventional power plants, we're told no. when we try to put in nuclear power plants, we're told no. we're told the answer is new technology. is that your response? >> the best way to produce demand is called efficiency. reducing our use, and that's the single cheapest, quickest, cleanest, safest way to reduce demand. it's pretty straight forward and easy. just got to get it done. >> reclaiming my time, it seems to me with any commoditying when she something is scarce, it becomes expensive. it is plentiful, it is cheap.

we have a policy of predicting our energy reserves to the point where they have become scarce. we're told they're going to disappear anyway. well, we were told in the 1960's that our oil supplies would be exhausted by the 1980's. we were told in the 1970's it would be by the 1990's. now we're being told it will be sometime 20 years from now. the point is, when we look for more oil, we find it. the problem is that we have been prohibited even from exploring that, let alone developing the reserves that we now have. that is the issue. a new generation is looking at this saying what in the world are you people thinking? record unemployment, record increases in energy prices, why don't you develop the vast reserves we have? >> thank you. i'd like to recognize the ranking member to conclude his earlier statement. >> thank you very much.

we are tasked with the job of making a recommendation from this committee in terms of where deficit reduction would come from from this committee's jurisdiction. we're going out of session again on friday and taking off 10 more days, and we'll be back in on october 3, and we only have 11 days after that to make our recommendation. i continue to urge that the committee employ a vigorous, transparent process to consider any recommendations to the joint select committee. in the meantime, the focus on opening up the pristine arctic narbled wildlife refuge is misplaced, particularly because there are alternatives which would raise much more revenue to help reduce the deficit, by requiring oil companies to pay a fair share for drilling on the public land. i therefore wish to inform you, mr. chairman, that the minority intends to exercise its rights under rule 11 of the house to call an additional day of hearings with witnesses chosen by the minority so that this committee can explore how

opening up drilling in the arctic refuge compares with other alternatives that the committee could pursue to help reduce our nation's federal deficit. >> ok, thank you. we have concluded our questions. members of the committee may have additional questions for the record, and i would ask each of the witnesses to respond to those in writing. and before we recess, i would like to ask unanimous consent to include two documents in the record, one being a letter from the national construction alliance, which is composed of the united brotherhood of carpenters and joiners, as well as the international union of operating engineers, both of whom support opening anwr to

production. the second document, which is a letter from state representative millett, i hope i have that correct, or miller, i can't read the writing, also support being opening of anwr f. there's no objection, those documents will be included in the record. >> mr. chairman, there is no objection on the part of the minority. >> thank you. and if there's no further business, the committee will stand in recess. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2011]

>> today on "washington journal" -- a look at the foreign policy views of the g.o.p. presidential candidates with joshua keating of "foreign policy" magazine. after that, eric ries on his latest book, "the lean startup," which looks at entrepreneurs. and later, andrew sherrill of the government accountability office on government spending. that's live starting at 7:00 a.m. eastern here on c-span. today on c-span, an update on the training of afghanistan security forces with lieutenant general william caldwell in kabul. that's live at 10:30 a.m. eastern here on c-span. today, the senate is back in for morn business at 3:30 p.m. eastern. at 4:30, lawmakers resume debate on the continuing resolution that would fund the federal government through november 18. at 5:30, they'll take a procedural vote on that

measure. watch live coverage of the senate on c-span2. >> the c-span networks, we provide coverage of politics, public affairs, nonfiction books, and american history. this month, look for congress to continue federal spending into november, including funding for recent natural disasters. keep tabs on the deficit committee as they formulate a plan to lower the debt. follow the presidential candidates as they continue to campaign across the country am it's all available to you on television, radio, online, and on social media sites. search, watch, and share all our programs any time with c-span video library. we're on the road with our c-span digital bus and local content vehicles, bringing our resources to local communities and showing events from around the country. it's washington your way. the c-span networks, created by cable, provided as a public cable, provided as a public service.