McNerney Calls House Approval of Bill to Drill Off California's Coast "Reckless," "Short-sighted, and "Fiscally Irresponsible"

Press Release

McNerney Calls House Approval of Bill to Drill Off California's
Coast "Reckless," "Short-sighted," and "Fiscally Irresponsible;"
Calls On Senate to Defeat Measure

Jerry McNerney sharply criticized the U.S. House of Representatives for passing a bill
yesterday that will not solve the nation's energy problems, but will put more carbon into
the atmosphere and place California's precious coastline at risk of contamination and
spills. McNerney is challenging Richard Pombo, one of the bill's leading proponents, in
the race for Congress to represent California's 11th Congressional District.

"The bottom line is that we cannot drill our way to energy independence, and we can not
continue to ignore the very real problem of global warming," said McNerney. "As sea
levels rise, the risk of levee failure and catastrophic flooding in the Delta increases
greatly, and salt water intrusion promises to wreak havoc with local farmers and land
values in the district. Pombo's plan is not a sensible energy plan for our nation or this
district."

In addition, the vast majority of Californians do not want oil or gas drilling off of their
coastline, rightfully believing that to jeopardize the number one tourist attraction in the
state would be serious folly. A February 2006 poll by the respected Public Policy
Institute of California revealed that 2 out of 3 Californians oppose any off-shore drilling
whatsoever, including 46% of the state's Republicans.

"Once again, you have to wonder just who it is that Mr. Pombo is representing in
Congress. While gas prices were soaring in the spring, he was jetting down to Houston to
attend a posh fundraiser held by oil industry lobbyists," said McNerney. "And now, with
gas prices still over $3 per gallon and district families and commuters still hurting, we
have Pombo recklessly disregarding the opinions of the vast majority of the citizens of
this state as he tries to pay back his big money contributors."

According to the AP1, Pombo ridiculed the bill's critics - which include Governor Arnold
Schwarzenegger - "as opposing everything." In a related Stockton Record article2,
Pombo spokesman Brian Kennedy accused the Governor of not "closely" reading a letter
Pombo sent to him describing his scheme, and then complained that Schwarzenegger's
reply expressing his opposition to Pombo and support for strong coastal protections "was
a campaign flyer."

McNerney also noted that the Pombo-supported bill changes the formula for sharing oil
and gas royalties between the federal government and the states, such that four states -
Texas among them - would receive a windfall while the US Treasury would lose as much
as $69 billion over a 15 year period, according to figures supplied by the US Department
of the Interior. The Associated Press reported that the White House issued a statement
strongly opposing this provision in the Pombo-backed bill, as it "would have a long-term
impact on the federal deficit."

"Stripping out $69 billion of federal revenue without stating how this revenue will be
made up is fiscal irresponsibility at its worst," said McNerney. "Who will Mr. Pombo put
a tax increase on to make up for this shortfall? What spending programs will he cut? Or is
he proposing to simply just add this amount as a further debt burden on our children
and grandchildren, in addition to leaving them with an overheated planet?"

According to AP, moderate Republican Sherwood Boehlert (R-NY) attempted to insert
into the bill a provision to increase automobile fuel efficiency standards, but was
prevented from doing so. Boehlert reportedly said, "We should not be opening all of our
coasts to oil drilling when we have not taken the first steps to conserve oil."

"Our nation needs a real energy plan, of the kind I envision based on new energy
technology and an emphasis on conservation, that will create real jobs in our district
while reducing the burning of fossil fuels," said McNerney. "This will mean less time
wasted driving in our cars to far away jobs, and more time to spend with our families.
It will mean cleaner air and our kids having less asthma and other associated health
problems. And frankly, we need to begin now to reduce the threat of global warming and
the devastating scenarios envisioned by reputable scientists who are concerned about the
Delta and a substantial part of this district that sits just above sea level."

http://jerrymcnerney.org/Press%20Releases/McNerney_Offshore_Release.pdf