really quite consequential for us, and when you recognize that the latest studies coming back from usgs in terms of the resources, the oil and gas resources, that are potentially under the arctic area there, some 30% possibly of the remaining oil and gas reserves are in these arctic waters. it has never been much interest to anybody because it was pretty near on accessible, as we are seeing changes, as we are seeing passageways open up, and we are seeing the level of commerce and activity of the north, all of a sudden, it is becoming the place to look at. unfortunately for this country, if we do not ratify a lot of the sea, -- the law of the sea, we cannot make that claim before the commission, and that is to our detriment. if we are not sitting at the table, we do not have an opportunity to either claimed as resources or be involved -- to either claim those resources or be involved. the commerce, the fishing, the shipping -- there is so much that is at stake here, and i think it is imperative that we as a nation step forward finally and ratify the laws at sea. i stepped up the foreign

and when you recognize that the latest studies coming back from usgs in terms of the resources, the oil and gas resources that are potentially under the arctic area there, and some 30% possibly of the world's remaining oil and gas reserves in these arctic waters. it's never been much interest to anybody because it was pretty near un- accessible. but as we are seeing changes and parsing passageways open up and we're seeing the level of commerce and activity up north, all of a sudden it's becoming the place to look at. unfortunately for this country, if we don't ratify the law of the sea, we can't make a claim to any of those offshore resources, or make that claim before the commission. and that's to our detriment. if we are not sitting at the table we don't have an opportunity to either claim those resources or be involved with the environmental issues that will exist out there, the commerce, the fishing, the shipping. there is so much that is at stake here, and i think that it's imperative that we as a nation step forward finally and ratify the law of the sea. i stepped off the foreign