Walberg: Lifting Ban on Offshore Drilling Will Lead to Lower Gas Prices, A More Secure America

Press Release

Walberg: Lifting Ban on Offshore Drilling Will Lead to Lower Gas Prices, A More Secure America

U.S. Congressman Tim Walberg (R-MI) today released the following statement regarding the President's decision to lift the executive ban on offshore oil exploration.

"With today's decision, the only thing between the American people and vast energy resources is Congressional Leadership. Lifting the ban on offshore drilling will lead to lower gas prices, more production of American energy and a safer America. Just as with the Manhattan Project or the race to the moon, breaking our dependence on foreign oil should be a national priority. Greater energy exploration in America, more energy from alternative fuel sources and an increase in innovative solutions like coal-to-liquids technology all must be part of a comprehensive energy solution."

Walberg, along with 95 other Members of Congress, sent a letter to the President to lift the executive memorandum banning offshore drilling. The letter is available at http://walberg.house.gov/blog/?p=243.

Walberg introduced a discharge petition in June to bring the No More Excuses Energy Act, legislation to increase U.S. energy production and invest in alternative sources of energy, to the House floor for a vote. House rules state that a discharge petition must have 218 signatures (a simple majority) in order to bring a bill to the floor for a vote. 154 members have signed the petition so far.

Walberg supports H.R. 2208, the Coal-to-Liquid Fuel Act. The bipartisan bill, introduced by Representatives Rick Boucher (D-VA) and John Shimkus (R-IL), would bring down pump prices by encouraging the use of clean coal-to-liquid technology to produce alternative transportation fuels. The bill would authorize the Secretary of Energy to help with coal-to-liquid projects that produce innovative transportation fuel, which would increase production of clean American energy.

The No More Excuses Energy Act (H.R. 3089):

- Encourages new refinery construction and makes federal lands available for refinery construction.

- Reduces green house emissions by encouraging the capture of CO2 from marginal oil wells.

- Boosts alternative energy development by extending the Wind Production Tax Credit for 10
years.

- Lifts the Congressional Moratoria on exploring the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), potentially
providing 17 billion barrels of oil.

- Opens the ANWR to responsible exploration, potentially producing nearly a million barrels
per day for several decades.

- Encourages investment in a much-needed industrial base for building modern nuclear
power plants.

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