The Speaker Pro Tempore: The gentleman from California is recognized for five minutes.

Mr. Miller: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, Members of the House, this is an amendment to make sure that the taxpayers of this country and the owners of the federal lands are not shortchanged if in fact ANWR will be opened in the future. Last week we discussed royalty relief and we made the point that there are companies who have a royalty holiday. They do not pay royalties to the taxpayers of this country for the drilling on the lands that are owned by those taxpayers. In some cases those companies may be able to escape almost all of the royalties on those lands.

We're simply saying to the Secretary of the Interior, if ANWR is opened, whether you're for it or against it those companies that exploit the royalty holiday will not be allowed to bid for a lease in the ANWR should it be leased. This is only fair to the taxpayers, an overwhelming bipartisan coalition voted for this last week on legislation. We seek to have that vote again to make sure. We all know that oil is at $70 a barrel, oil company profits are at record all-time highs yet nobody can figure out how to give the temporary a break. The oil companies aren't going to lower the price of gas or pay for the research had the bill yesterday and now they're telling us they won't give wack back a royalty holiday they're not entitled to. They're going to continue to exploit this loophole in the wall and then they want to bid on new resources.

We simply say enough is enough. We want to protect the taxpayers. This is not about whether ANWR is open or whether ANWR remains closed. This is about the ethics and this is about the judgment of this Congress in dealing with these oil companies that seek to have your cake and eat it to. But we have to get new take from the taxpayers of this country. With that I yield to Mr. Markey.