House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Doc Hastings (WA-04) delivered the following floor speech today highlighting discrepancies between the President’s rhetoric supporting offshore drilling and his budget that shows declining revenue from new offshore leases:


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“Last week, Americans were encouraged when President Obama mentioned offshore drilling in his State of the Union address.

Yet it took only five short days for the President to reveal his true intentions on offshore drilling. 

The President’s budget plan shows revenues from new offshore leases dramatically declining in the next five years.

If more areas are opened to exploration, revenues would increase…not decrease.  Less revenue, means less exploration.

This shows this Administration has no intention of opening up new areas to offshore drilling.

In 2008, the decades-long ban on offshore drilling was ended because the public demanded it. 

As a result, we now have over 500 million ¬new acres available for energy production.

But this Administration is purposely choosing not to act. 
 
The President’s words don’t match his actions.

This Administration’s policies are preventing the creation of millions of new American jobs.

Mr. Speaker, it’s time for America to move forward with an all-the-above-energy plan that includes new offshore drilling.”

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