[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 17]
[House]
[Page 22513]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                              {time}  1030
                           OFFSHORE DRILLING

  (Mr. HASTINGS of Washington asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute.)
  Mr. HASTINGS of Washington. Mr. Speaker, last week, Interior 
Secretary Salazar stated that the Obama administration would ``move 
expeditiously'' on finalizing a new offshore drilling plan. While I 
hope this to be true, unfortunately, this administration has proposed 
one delay after another to block new energy production and new jobs.
  In February, the administration stalled new offshore drilling with an 
extended 6-month comment period. Now we've learned they may wait until 
2012 before implementing a new offshore drilling plan. This means the 
offshore drilling ban that was lifted last year by the President and by 
the Congress would effectively remain in place for 3 more years. With 
10 percent unemployment, Mr. Speaker, Americans can't wait 3 more years 
to begin producing more energy and millions more jobs.
  It's time to lift the de facto ban on new offshore drilling. It's 
time to act on the Republicans' all-of-the-above energy plan that will 
create green jobs, drilling jobs, wind and solar jobs, and nuclear 
jobs.
  Let's get America to work producing more energy.

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