Sestak Flip-Flops on Issue of Drilling in ANWR

Press Release

Sestak Flip-Flops on Issue of Drilling in ANWR

Over the past two months, Republican congressional candidate Craig Williams has been calling on Congress to take action to allow the United States to begin recovering oil from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska to help reduce our nation's dependence on foreign oil. In response to Williams' vocal calls for allowing oil production there, which included a five day trip by Williams to the proposed drilling site, Democrat Congressman Joe Sestak has completely reversed his position on the issue.

Sestak, who co-sponsored legislation in February 2007 that would permanently prohibit the recovery of oil from the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, has now stated publicly that he supports drilling for oil in ANWR once certain conditions have been met. Sestak's politically expedient reversal occurred during an appearance on NBC 10's Live @ Issue on Sunday morning, following an interview that host Steve Highsmith conducted with Craig Williams after his visit to the North Slope of Alaska.

Steve Highsmith: "Talking about drilling in ANWR [the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge]: Drill there or not drill there?

Joe Sestak: "Yeah, I'm for drilling there…"

While Sestak went on to say that he wanted oil companies to also drill in other areas that they currently have leased, his statement is clearly at odds with his co-sponsorship of legislation, H.R. 39, that would permanently block development of oil in the 10-02 area of the refuge. That represents a major reversal of Sestak's position on the issue.

"Up until now, Sestak was opposed to any form of drilling in ANWR," said Craig Williams. "While I welcome Sestak's change in position on the issue, this reeks of political opportunism. Joe Sestak shifts his position on the issues depending on the ever-shifting political winds. We need real leadership, not pure political calculation based on the latest poll numbers."

"With gas prices over $4.00 per gallon, our nation requires true leadership on the energy issue," said Williams. "Drilling in ANWR is not just about gas prices, it is also about our economic and national security. We need to reduce our dependence on the Middle East and Venezuela - and in the process stop sending those nations hundreds of billions of American dollars annually. Those nations, most of which make no effort to hide their distain for American ideals and our way of life, currently have a huge influence on the health of our economy. We need to utilize our own sources of oil and ANWR represents the second largest single source of oil in our nation. Utilizing ANWR alone could cut our foreign oil dependence by as much as 20 percent."

Williams noted that oil recovery from ANWR relates to a section that makes up less than one half of one percent of the total size of the refuge. Legislation currently proposed by Republicans in Congress would allow drilling on just 2,000 acres in an area that is four times the size of New Jersey.

"I hope that Joe Sestak will follow up his new public position on drilling for oil in ANWR with action," said Williams. "The Democrat leadership in Congress has refused to allow any legislation pertaining to drilling in ANWR to come to the Hose floor for a vote. I urge Congressman Sestak to sign onto a bi-partisan discharge position that will force the Democratic leadership to allow an up or down vote on drilling for oil in ANWR. In light of his new position, Sestak should also remove himself as a co-sponsor of H.R. 39, which would permanently prohibit drilling in ANWR now and in the future."

"ANWR is not the complete solution for our energy crisis," said Williams. "We need to open exploration for oil off our costal shelves; we need to build more nuclear power plants; we need to help Alaska build its natural gas pipeline to recover the trillions of cubic feet of natural gas from the North Slope; we need to bolster our coal-to-liquid development; and we need to accomplish these pieces of the energy solution while we bridge our way to a new generation of energy supply which relies heavily on clean, renewable forms of energy."

Craig Williams is running for Congress the 7th Congressional District of Pennsylvania, comprising most of Delaware County and parts of Montgomery and Chester Counties. Williams is a former federal prosecutor, Marine combat veteran, and former active duty Deputy Legal Counsel to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He lives in Concord Township, Delaware County, with his wife Jennifer, daughter and two step-children. The 7th District is his home - where he lives, where his kids go to school, where he pays taxes, where he attends church, and where he intends to spend the rest of his life.

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