Cassidy Comments on Proposed Offshore Oil and Gas Leasing Program

Press Release

Today, Rep. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) commented on the Obama Administration's announcement that they will begin developing the next 5-year plan of potential offshore oil and gas lease sales. The Interior Department's Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) issued a Request For Information (RFI) on the new Five Year Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program for 2017-2022.

The Obama Administration's current five-year plan keeps 85 percent of our offshore areas off-limits to energy production. A report by the non-partisan Congressional Research Service shows that the 15 lease sales in U.S. waters that are included in President Obama's five-year plan represent the lowest number of lease sales ever proposed in a plan since the process began in 1980.

House-passed legislation like the Offshore Energy and Jobs Act (H.R. 2231), is waiting to be looked at in the Senate. This would expand U.S. offshore energy production in order to create over a million new American jobs, lower energy prices, grow our economy and strengthen national security.

Dr. Cassidy offered the following statement:

"Thousands of jobs could be created by developing Louisiana's offshore resources and opening our waters for more lease sales. Unfortunately, the current 5-year leasing program shows the president prefers to keep these resources off limits and would rather send these jobs overseas. Common sense legislation I have supported that would expand offshore energy production is waiting to be considered in the Senate. The Obama Administration must work with local stakeholders on deciding what areas to include in the next lease sales. Its critical to developing jobs, increasing our state's revenue and achieving American energy independence."

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