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| Steve Pearce |
NewNM Note - Congressman Steve Pearce will appear on News New Mexico Friday morning at 7:00am.
Washington, DC (May 5, 2011) Today, the House passed H.R. 1230, the Restarting American Offshore Leasing Now Act, which expands American energy production and creates jobs by requiring the Secretary of the Interior to conduct oil and natural gas lease sales in the Gulf of Mexico and offshore Virginia that have been delayed or cancelled by the Obama Administration.
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| White House Green Strategy |
Despite repeated court rulings against it, the moratorium has continued, reducing domestic oil production by 240,000 barrels of oil a day. “This is the first step in reversing the policies of the Obama Administration, which has actively blocked American energy production, leading to higher gas prices and a loss of American jobs” said Pearce. “While the President is busy singling out the American oil industry for tax increases, the President’s proposals will only increase energy prices and destroy American jobs.
In a speech last month at Georgetown, President Obama called for more offshore oil exploration and production. This bill gives the President the opportunity to accomplish that goal. Will he continue to talk out both sides of his mouth or will he stop the empty rhetoric, put words into action and demand that this legislation gets to his desk for his signature?” The average gallon of gas in the US was up to $3.96 last week, more than double the $1.84 national average when President Obama took office on January 26, 2009. Obama’s calls for higher taxes on domestic energy production have come despite the fact that the oil and gas industry already provides $95 million per day in revenue to the government and supports 9.2 million American workers, according to a report by API. 
Since 2010, American oil production has decreased by 16%. The moratorium has cost 12,000 jobs, and threatens to eliminate over 60,000 more in the near future. In this time of economic crisis, America cannot afford such reckless policies. Pearce has long been a strong opponent of the moratorium. In February, he called on President Obama to end the moratorium and allow gulf workers to go back to their jobs. “The consequences of this reckless policy,” said Pearce, “are seen in the faces of the thousands of Americans who now wonder how to feed their families. In this time of crisis, America cannot afford to lose one single job.”
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