Hudson Statement on Administration's Offshore Drilling Proposal

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Representative Richard Hudson (NC-08), Co-Chairman of the Atlantic Offshore Energy Caucus, released the following statement in reaction to President Obama’s offshore drilling proposal which seeks to open up North Carolina’s coast to drilling:

“I have been a staunch advocate for getting North Carolina into the energy business, and I welcome the President’s proposal as one of many steps that need to be taken to unleash our own natural resources, create jobs and boost our economy. While I support opening up our coast to drilling, I understand that we now face bureaucratic hoops and an uphill rulemaking process before we see Atlantic offshore drilling come to fruition. Our state has incredible potential for growth, and I’ll continue to advocate for an all-of-the-above energy strategy that enables us to take advantage of our resources in a responsible way.”

Last August, Rep. Hudson led a letter with 163 of his colleagues to Department of the Interior (DOI) Secretary Sally Jewell urging the Department to proceed with a “rigorous lease sale schedule” and to significantly expand the area available for energy development in the new Five Year Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2017-2022.

Rep. Hudson, along with Reps. Scott Rigell (VA-02) and Jeff Duncan (SC-03), serves as Chairman 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. The Atlantic Offshore Energy Caucus will host its first official meeting tomorrow.

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