Five Years Ago Today, Senator Tillis Promoted Offshore Drilling In His Maiden Floor Speech

Press Release

Five years ago today, Senator Thom Tillis gave his first floor speech -- a speech most Senators use to introduce their top priorities for their first term in office -- and in it called for offshore drilling in North Carolina. Despite bipartisan opposition, Tillis even introduced an amendment to do so.

Tillis' record since then has proven he is still on the wrong side of coastal North Carolina.

"Asked if he still supports drilling near North Carolina, Tillis said he supports "the process' of considering it.

Faced with the decision of confirming oil lobbyist David Bernhardt to be the Interior Department's next secretary, Thom Tillis voted yes.

Just last month, leading environmental group Environment North Carolina released a report detailing the extreme risks off-shore drilling would pose to North Carolina's coastal communities. The report, which highlights both the economic infrastructure and ecological threat off-shore drilling poses to North Carolina, provides indicting context for one of Thom Tillis' first actions as Senator.

For five years, Thom Tillis has turned his back on North Carolina coastal communities whose economies rely on a healthy ocean. Unlike Tillis, Cal Cunningham will fight to protect our coast. Announcing the League of Conservation Voters' endorsement of Cal Cunningham last year, LCV Director of Government Relations Dan Crawford said, "We know we can count on him to also protect our economic future -- to stand against drilling off our coast and to invest in good-paying clean energy jobs right here in North Carolina."

Source