House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement after the Bureau of Labor Statistics released its June unemployment report:

“Today’s job report confirms what Republicans have been saying for months—temporary government jobs are not a catalyst for economic recovery.  It’s ironic that the Obama Administration is calling this the ‘recovery summer’ while they simultaneously implement policies that are destroying jobs and slowing economic growth.  Obama’s offshore drilling moratorium has already cost thousands of jobs in the Gulf and threatens thousands more.  This week we learned two shallow water oil exploration rigs have decided to leave the Gulf due to uncertainty caused by the moratorium and the Administration’s permitting delays.  There are nearly 15 million unemployed people in America and this Administration should not be adding to that number by inflicting even greater economic pain in the Gulf region.”

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