Once again, trying to keep up with the frenetic Obama administration’s loop-de-loops is a daunting task. Trying to follow the President’s conflicted and muddled energy policy is especially daunting.
Last week, while we were looking “elsewhere” at health care, or were waiting for the next Eric Massa meltdown, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar quietly let slip the fact that the Obama administration has no plans to entertain any new offshore drilling contracts until at least 2012.
In 2008, President Bush let the moratorium on drilling between 3 and 200 miles offshore expire and then left behind for the new administration, a “ready-to-go” draft 2010-2015 drilling plan . Obama and Salazar, by refusing to act on the draft, are in effect putting a “new” moratorium on drilling for the rest of President Obama’s term.
Washington State Congressman Doc Hastings, ranking member of the House Natural Resources Committee, released the following statement today:
Secretary Salazar has finally confirmed what had long been feared – that the Obama Administration has no intention of opening up new areas for offshore drilling during his four years in office. In 2008, in a bipartisan agreement, the decades-long ban on offshore drilling was lifted [and] opened 500 million additional acres for new energy production. This area contains an estimated 14 billion barrels of oil and 55 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. The American people expected the Administration to seize this incredible opportunity, not keep the ban in place for years down the road. This is now the “Obama Moratorium” on offshore drilling and the responsibility for this delay lies squarely at his feet.
Despite public comments that favored a new leasing plan by a 2-to-1 margin, the Administration has decided to disregard the overwhelming opinion of the American people who support opening additional areas to drilling. By extending this drilling ban to 2012, the Administration is single-handedly preventing new job creation, billions in new government revenue and increased energy security.”
The latest Rasmussen Poll on this issue, (December, 2009) showed 68% percent of the country in favor of off-shore drilling for oil and only 20% oppose it.
A report done last year by the American Energy Alliance Organization shows if new drilling on the previously untouchable “Outer Continental Shelf” (OCS) would be allowed, the American ”recession” would effectively, end:
At a time when the country is saddled with a 10 percent unemployment rate, botch-and-boondoggled “stimulus” bills, and high gasoline prices are being paid to Muslim nations which also sponsor terrorism against this country, refusing to drill for our own source of energy off our own coastlines is not just foolish, it’s un-American. Salazar’s failure to act on drilling is a quiet, wimpy “sop” to the “Dr. No’s” of enviro-wackism. This should not stand.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Well said
Sean Spencer commented on your link:
“@ George – AGREED!”
Kevin Budig commented on your link:
“Wonder if Obama’s head hurts from being so stupid!!”
How Stupid. This will throw thousands out of work. This Kenyan guy must be really trying to destroy this country. This is unheard of. Unemployment is already bad enough then this idiot does this!!! What an idiot.