Today, House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Doc Hastings (WA-04) released the following statement regarding the State of California’s bipartisan agreement to allow drilling off the Santa Barbara coast:

“When faced with an 11.6 percent unemployment rate and over $26 billion budget shortfall, a bipartisan group of California officials agreed yesterday to strengthen the state’s economy by authorizing drilling off the Santa Barbara coast in state waters for the first time in more than 40 years.  By responsibly developing energy resources in their own backyard, Californians will have access to new, high-paying jobs and over $1.8 billion in revenue to reduce their state’s deficit.    

“The good news is that the rest of America can also reap economic benefits by opening additional areas to offshore drilling and energy production. The bad news is that the Obama Administration continues to stand in the way of all-of-the-above energy development.   With 9.5 percent of Americans out of work and an unprecedented $1 trillion national deficit, what are Democrats waiting on?  How long will Democrats refuse to move forward with a national offshore drilling plan that is projected to create 1.2 million jobs annually and pay $2.2 trillion towards the Obama-Pelosi deficit? And why do Democrats remain committed to enacting a National Energy Tax that will actually spike energy costs, decrease economic growth and kill jobs?

“Republicans and Democrats can work together to responsibly develop our energy resources and also create new jobs for struggling Americans.  It’s time for President Obama and Democrats in Congress to finally support Republicans’ all-of the-above energy plan that will create green jobs, nuclear jobs, drilling jobs, and manufacturing jobs.”

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