WASHINGTON - U.S. House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (R-WA) said he would introduce energy legislation to speed up oil-and-gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and open other offshore regions to drilling as well, The Hill reports.
This week the committee held a hearins to address both President Obama??s de facto drilling moratorium in the Gulf of Mexico and on rising gasoline prices.
"Let me state very clearly that these hearings will lead to action," Hastings said during Wednesday??s hearing, adding that he is planning to introduce legislation "to put the Gulf of Mexico back to work."
In his opening remarks yesterday, Hastings said that the best way for the U.S. to "insulate ourselves long-term from unpredictable world events and rising gasoline prices is to produce more American energy here at home. We have the resources to produce our own energy and we have the best and latest technology to accomplish it safely. But for some baffling reason this [Obama] administration is choosing not to do so."
He noted that President Obama has either "blocked, delayed, hindered and obstructed energy production across America" since taking office, which lead to American job loss and higher gasoline and energy prices.
"Americans know what $4 per gallon gasoline feels like and they don??t want to go back to those days. They remember how it strained their monthly budget, increased costs for all types of goods and forced tough trade-offs on where and how to spend money. A return of that scenario would cost jobs and further stall economic recovery," said Hastings.