New Offshore Drilling Ban Just the Latest Job-Killing Policy from Dems
Posted by
Kevin Boland
on
December 02, 2010
The Obama Administration unloaded yet another job-killing salvo yesterday in the form of an offshore drilling ban that will cost thousands of jobs and make America more dependent on foreign sources of energy. According to the Natural Resources Committee Republicans, the new job-killing ban will cost “75,000 jobs; $91 billion in cumulative government revenues (royalties, severance taxes, property taxes, income taxes, lease bonuses); 900,000 bbls oil/day; and 2.9 tcf natural gas/day.”
Not only will it kill jobs and reduce domestic production, but the Administration’s decision represents a reversal of its own recently announced policy, as the New York Times noted today: “The expansion of offshore drilling announced in March only partly opened those waters; but it still would have made available enough oil to fuel more than 2.4 million cars and gas to heat 8 million households for 60 years.” Now, as a result of the Administration’s decision, that won’t be possible.
Just check out the extent of the Obama Administration’s reckless policy, courtesy of the Natural Resources Committee Republicans (the red area is now subject to a moratorium):
 |
Opposition to the Administration’s job-killing ban has been bipartisan. According to the Washington Post:
Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell (R), who spoke to Salazar by phone Wednesday, called the new policy ‘an irresponsible and shortsighted decision.’ ‘It demonstrates a complete lack of confidence in the entrepreneurial spirit of American industry and its ability to fix the problems experienced in the gulf spill, and no confidence in the ability of the U.S. government to better plan for and react to offshore emergencies,’ said McDonnell, who had made drilling off Virginia's coast one of his top priorities.
‘The cost of today's decision will be seen in major lost job opportunities, surrendered economic growth and increased dependence on foreign sources of energy, from nations often hostile to American interests,’ he said. Criticism was bipartisan. A spokesman for Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) said that ‘while it is appropriate to take the time to incorporate lessons learned from the gulf disaster, Senator Warner sees no reason to delay this process for what realistically could be another seven years or more.’
Republicans have made a Pledge to America that addresses our nation’s energy and climate needs with the American Energy Act. This legislation would use the funds generated by expanded American energy production to speed up the development of the next generation of clean-energy alternatives. It would also lower fuel costs, reduce our dependence on foreign oil, and – at a time when Americans are asking, “where are the jobs?” – it would create more than a million new American jobs.
|
|