mr. chairman , i support this amendment . 
i think our colleagues from connecticut and massachusetts have very well explained why the amendment should be adopted . 
on that , i do n't think there is a need to try to add to what they said except to say that the amendment will protect one of the most special places in our country without much real cost in terms of our ability to maintain needed energy supplies . 
but i do want to take just a moment to add a personal note . 
as congress has debated this and similar energy bills , there has been some discussion of the history of the alaska lands act and how its authors might vote if they were still members of congress . 
some have even suggested that my father , mo udall , would oppose this amendment and support opening the coastal plain to drilling . 
that 's an interesting thought . 
of course , all we really know is that if things were different , they would be different . 
but i have my own opinion on the subject -- and i think speculation along those lines is not based on history . 
i think that the prime sponsors of the alaska lands act , including my father , would support the markey-johnson amendment . 
of course , that is n't really the point , anyway -- the real issue before us is n't about the past , but about the future . 
and it is up to us -- not our predecessors -- to decide , not just for ourselves but for our children and their children . 
but if people want to consider some words from the past , i would direct their attention to the original committee report on the alaska lands act , dated april 7 , 1978 . 
on page 149 , the report points out that `` the committee has noted the eloquent statements of a number of prominent alaskans '' about the idea of building a pipeline across the coastal plain . 
`` for example , '' the report continues , `` senator ted stevens ... .. 
told the council on environmental quality that `some have appropriately compared [ that idea ] with slicing a razor lade across the face of the mona lisa. '' i think that is a good summary of what could happen if we do not adopt this amendment . 
i am not saying that senator stevens would support the amendment -- i am sure he would n't . 
i am saying that i think he aptly described what will happen if the coastal plain is opened to drilling . 
and that is why i will vote for this amendment , and why i urge its adoption by the house . 
