More Support than Ever Before for Jindal's Offshore Royalty Bill
More Support than Ever Before for Jindal's Offshore Royalty Bill
Yesterday's passage of Congressman Bobby Jindal's (LA-01) bill to increase Louisiana's share of energy royalties produced offshore showed the broadest nationwide support ever for this type of legislation, including the majority of the Florida Congressional delegation.
"The vote in the House of Representatives represents a huge victory for Louisiana, and shows more support than ever before for giving Louisiana a fair share," Jindal said. "Representatives from 42 states voted in support of this bill, which will be crucial for winning over those states' U.S. Senators when they consider this legislation. This is the year that Louisiana can and will win this battle."
Support came from members throughout the country. A majority of the Florida delegation voted in support of royalty sharing, with 14 members voting in favor of the Jindal bill. Florida has historically opposed any legislation that advocates the opportunity for more energy exploration on the Outer Continental Shelf.
"We were able to secure diverse and widespread support for this bill because it does everything from encouraging more energy exploration to lowering energy costs throughout the country," Jindal said. "My bill also gives states more control over energy exploration off their coasts, allowing states like Florida to decide for themselves whether or not to explore off their coastlines."
Also, the White House issued a Statement of Administration Policy yesterday in support of revenue sharing with states, something that the Administration had recently opposed. The White House did object though to giving Louisiana the billions of dollars that Congressman Jindal's bill would bring back to the state.
"The tide is changing in Washington, D.C., and now more than ever, officials are willing to sit down and discuss why this is such an important issue in Louisiana," Jindal said. "The broad bipartisan vote for my bill is already moving the White House and the U.S. Senate closer to our position. Now is the time to press forward, because the longer we wait, the further Louisiana is from the minds of the nation. "
http://jindal.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=46895