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Press Release Published: Jun 2, 2011

VIDEO RELEASE – Barbour: “No Excuse to Shut Down an Industry”

Oil Spill Moratorium Bad for American Jobs, Energy Production

WASHINGTON. D.C. – The House Oversight and Government Reform Committee today released “No Excuse to Shut Down an Industry,” a new video in which Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour underscores the far-reaching hardships Gulf residents face as a result of the Obama Administration’s response to the Deepwater Horizon disaster. Gov. Barbour testified before the Committee today on how Administration decisions have hampered the Gulf economy, cut American energy production and increased America’s dependence on foreign oil. In the wake of the 2010 oil spill, the Gulf of Mexico has suffered an 85% reduction in new energy exploration permits, according to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement.

Barbour also reported on how the disaster response – led by BP – hurt state-and-local response efforts and created a disorganized, ineffective and inefficient command structure.

Barbour_cropped_copyCLICK HERE to Watch Gov. Barbour in “No Excuse to Shut Down an Industry”

“This is no excuse to shut down an industry that is not only vitally important for job creation in the Gulf states but is vitally important to the energy sufficiency of the United States,” Governor Barbour said in the video. “The blood of our country’s economy is energy. Thirty percent of all the oil and gas in the United States produced domestically was produced in the Gulf of Mexico before the oil spill. Since the oil spill, the Obama Administration has only permitted 15% as many deepwater oil rigs as before.”

In advance of today’s hearing, the Oversight Committee released a new report titled, “The BP Oil Spill Recovery Effort: The Legacy of Choices Made by the Obama Administration.” Key findings include:

• The Obama Administration ceded leadership and management responsibilities for addressing the suffering of oil spill victims;

• Many Gulf residents and local leaders believe BP is not meeting its obligations;

• Before implementing the drilling moratorium, Administration documents indicate officials made false assumptions about the consequences for Gulf residents, job losses and crippled American energy production;

• After the oil spill, the Administration’s reorganization of the federal government’s chief oil regulator ignored critical input.

Retweetables

RT @GOPoversight VIDEO: @HaleyBarbour discusses crushing impact of .@WhiteHouse Gulf #energy permitorium http://bit.ly/keomNp #4jobs

RT @GOPoversight “No Excuse to Shut Down an Industry” @HaleyBarbour on effects of 85% fewer #energy exploration permits http://bit.ly/keomNp

Related Documents
Name Document
Oil Spill Report Document