George Allen Statement on Bipartisan Action for Virginia's Inclusion in Offshore Drilling Plan

Statement

George Allen issued the following statement on bipartisan Congressional action yesterday to reverse President Obama's plan to exclude Virginia from consideration of offshore oil and gas leases. The U.S. House of Representatives included Virginia in passage of the "Congressional Replacement of President Obama's Energy-Restricting and Job-Limiting Offshore Drilling Plan," while Virginia Senators Mark Warner and Jim Webb co-sponsored the Offshore Petroleum Expansion Now Act of 2012 to include Virginia.

"I commend the U.S. House of Representatives for passing bipartisan legislation that would allow Virginia to develop our energy resources off our coast. Virginia is ready and willing to produce affordable energy, in contrast to Tim Kaine's actions as Governor to keep Virginia's resources off limits by delaying the Virginia lease sale. This bill would reverse the Obama Administration's irresponsible drilling moratorium that continues to say "No' to Virginia and good-paying jobs and lower energy costs for Virginia families and small businesses.

"There is strong bipartisan support to reverse the counterproductive energy policies coming from Washington. I thank Senators Mark Warner and Jim Webb for their efforts, and I encourage the U.S. Senate to take immediate action to restore Virginia's voice for offshore energy. Virginia, not Washington, should choose our Commonwealth's economic and energy destiny. It's time to allow Virginia to utilize all of its energy resources from our coalfields to our coast to create thousands of new jobs, increase our supply of affordable energy, generate hundreds of billions of dollars in revenues without raising taxes, and keep our money here in the U.S.A."

Source