,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #aebc  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,may #af1      
#bjai,mr4 ,merkley 7for himself1 ,mr4   
,booker1 ,mr4 ,whitehouse1 ,mr4         
,blumenthal1 ,ms4 ,harris1 ,ms4 ,warren1
 ,mr4 ,wyden1 ,mr4 ,sanders1 ,mr4       
,menendez1 ,mr4 ,markey1 ,mr4 ,van      
,hollen1 ,mr4 ,peters1 and ,mr4 ,cardin7
 introduced the following bill2 which   
was read twice and referred to the      
,committee on ,energy and ,natural      
,resources  ,a ,,bill  ,to prohibit     
drilling in the ,arctic ,ocean4  #a4    
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,stop ,arctic ,ocean ,drilling ,act 
of #bjai4  #b4 ,findings2 statement of  
policy  7a7 ,findings ,congress finds   
that1 as of the date of enactment of    
this ,act-- 7#a7 global climate change  
is occurring due largely to             
anthropogenic emissions of greenhouse   
gases and will continue to pose ongoing 
risks and challenges to the people and  
the ,government of the ,united ,states2 

7#b7 the evidence of impacts and dangers
 of climate change are supported by     
numerous reports and panels1 such as--  
7,a7 the #bjah ,national ,climate       
,assessment2  7,b7 the #bjah            
,intergovernmental ,panel on ,climate   
,change special report1 which details   
significant economic and ecological     
damage from a #a4e degree ,celsius      
increase in temperature2 and  7,c7 the  
#bjah ,united ,states ,geological       
,survey ,scientific ,investigations     
,report1 which highlights that          
developments on ,federal land account   
for a significant quantity of greenhouse
 gas emissions2  7#c7 7,a7 the average  
temperature in the ,united ,states      
during the decade preceding the date of 
enactment of this ,act was #j4h degree  
,celsius 7#a4e degrees ,fahrenheit7     
warmer than the #aija-aifj average2 and 
7,b7 that decade was the warmest on     
record both in the ,united ,states and  
globally2  7#d7 the ,arctic is warming  
at twice the rate of the rest of the    

planet2  7#e7 a global temperature      
increase of #b degrees ,celsius will    
lead to increased droughts1 rising seas1
 mass extinctions1 heat waves1          
desertification1 wildfires1 and         
acidifying oceans2  7#f7 delaying action
 on climate change will result in severe
 economic losses1 and global mitigation 
costs increase by approximately #dj     
percent for each decade of delay2  7#g7 
at least #hj percent of the carbon from 
known fossil fuel reserves must not be  
released into the atmosphere to have an 
#hj percent chance of avoiding the worst
 effects of climate change stemming from
 a #b degree ,celsius change in global  
temperature2  7#h7 developing oil and   
gas reserves in the ,arctic ,ocean is   
incompatible with staying within that   
global carbon budget and avoiding the   
worst effects of climate change2 and    
7#i7 the ,arctic ,ocean is home to      
invaluable and fragile ecosystems1 which
 are critical to-- 7,a7 marine mammals1 
including whales1 walrus1 ice seals1 and

 polar bears2  7,b7 fisheries2  7,c7    
migratory birds2  7,d7 indigenous       
populations2 and  7,e7 subsistence      
hunters4  7b7 ,statement of policy ,it  
is the policy of the ,united ,states    
that the ,arctic ,ocean should be       
managed for the best interests of the   
people of the ,united ,states1 including
 by keeping fossil fuels in the ground  
to avoid the dangerous impacts of       
climate change4  #c4 ,prohibition of oil
 and gas leasing in ,arctic areas of the
 outer ,continental ,shelf ,section #h  
of the ,outer ,continental ,shelf ,lands
 ,act 7#dc ,u4,s4,c4 #accg7 is amended  
by adding at the end the following3  7q7
 ,prohibition of oil and gas leasing in 
,arctic areas of the outer ,continental 
,shelf  7#a7 ,definition of ,arctic ,in 
this subsection1 the term ,arctic has   
the meaning given the term in section   
#aab of the ,arctic ,research and       
,policy ,act of #aihd 7#ae ,u4,s4,c4    
#daaa74  7#b7 ,prohibition              
,notwithstanding any other provision of 

this ,act or any other law1 the         
,secretary of the ,interior shall not   
issue or extend a lease or any other    
authorization for the exploration1      
development1 or production of oil1      
natural gas1 or any other mineral on    
,arctic areas of the outer ,continental 
,shelf4  4