Off-Shore Drilling: We can create jobs & protect our environment simultaneously

For Immediate Release

HOBBS, NM- Former Congressman Steve Pearce today released the following statement regarding President Obama's energy policy announcement.

You may view maps of the OCS areas in a document here.

"The energy policy announcement today by President Obama is another example of the President being ambiguous, evasive and misleading. The order will lock up more production areas than it releases. 

"Under the Administration's plan a majority of areas that are open are being once again closed, this includes the Pacific Coast, the Northeastern Atlantic and Bristol Bay, Alaska.

"The Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) plan announced by the President puts 13.14 billion barrels of oil and 41.9 trillion cubic feet of natural gas under lock and key.  And the highly touted drilling off the Virginia coast is actually postponed until 2012, thereby discarding a lease sale that was scheduled to take place in 2011.

"Even though the Administration claims drilling is permitted in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, Congressional action will be required before drilling may occur. Nancy Pelosi has repeatedly blocked Congressional action, including when Republicans were in the majority.

"The current Administration is making it impossible to drill for American resources, rather than opening up the OCS.  Under the President's announcement, our country will to continue to buy oil from nations that wish to do us harm, it prolongs the 10% unemployment rates and gasoline prices will continue to escalate because of the actions or inaction of President Obama, Speaker Pelosi and Congressman Teague.

"If Congressman Teague remains silent on this issue, he is complicit in the President's ambiguous promises to the American people.

"I favor creating American jobs and using American energy from the Outer Continental Shelf.  We can create jobs and protect our environment simultaneously; we have the obligation to do both."

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