Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Doc Hastings (WA-04) delivered a floor speech highlighting the Obama Administration's refusal to move forward with the current five-year Outer Continental Shelf leasing plan, essentially creating an "Obama Moratorium" on new offshore energy production until 2012.  Full video and text of the speech follow:

Click here to watch the floor speech

“In 2008, when gas prices reached four dollars a gallon, Republicans took to this House floor demanding that Congress take action.

The good news for Americans is that Congress responded by lifting the ban on offshore drilling – opening up over 500 million new acres to energy production.

The bad news is that immediately when President Obama took office, he completely halted this potential production.

Now his Interior Secretary has announced a new “Obama Moratorium” – a delay on leasing any new offshore areas for drilling until 2012.

This means that Americans will have to wait four years for a plan to open up new areas for offshore energy production.

This means that no new drilling will occur during President Obama’s entire term in office.

And this means that Americans will lose out on new jobs while the Administration keeps dragging its feet.

It’s time to end the delays, say no to the “Obama Moratorium” and implement the 2010 plan to expand offshore drilling.”

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