Skip to main content

Hudson Responds to Administration's Removal of Atlantic Drilling Proposal

March 15, 2016
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
March 15, 2016
Hudson Responds to Administration’s Removal of Atlantic Drilling Proposal
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Co-Chairs of the Atlantic Offshore Energy Caucus Rep. Richard Hudson (NC-08), Rep. Jeff Duncan (SC-03), and Rep. Scott Rigell (VA-02) responded to the administration’s removal of the planned oil and natural gas lease sale off the southeast Atlantic coast.
“I’m disappointed the administration is reversing course and ignoring broad bipartisan support for oil and gas leasing off the Atlantic coast,” said Rep. Hudson (NC-08). “This is a disservice to folks all across the southeast who deserve this incredible opportunity to unleash our natural resources, create jobs and boost our economy. I will continue to be on the front lines of this debate and work to get North Carolina into the energy business.”
“I am disappointed, but not surprised, that this Administration would once again choose placating his political allies over helping the economic needs of the American people,” said Rep. Duncan (SC-03). “We know that offshore energy development can be done safely and that it creates tens of thousands of jobs. We know that our economy needs the long term boost that energy jobs can provide. We’ve also seen transformative impact that energy revenue can have on state budgets, helping finance infrastructure needs and contributing to conservation efforts.”
“I agreed with President Obama when he called for an all-of-the-above American energy strategy, and supported his draft proposal in 2015 to open the Atlantic coast for energy exploration,” said Rep. Rigell (VA-02). “The actions taken by the Obama Administration today are not only deeply disappointing; they starkly contradict the President’s own words and do not reflect a commitment to growing our local and national economies. We can create 25,000 good-paying jobs for Virginians if we properly leverage our offshore resources. But the President’s restrictions complicate this path forward. In the days and weeks ahead, I will work with my colleagues in Congress on both sides of the aisle, as well as the Department of the Interior, to maximize our offshore energy potential.”
Reps. Hudson, Duncan and Rigell serve as Co-Chairmen of the Atlantic Offshore Energy Caucus, a committee that works to advance policies that explore and expand energy production in the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf as part of an all-of-the-above national energy strategy.
###