AIF Opposes Obama Decision on Drilling in Offshore Waters

Barney Bishop, president and CEO of the Associated Industries of Florida (AIF), said on Thursday that he disagreed with the Obama administrations announcement to continue the moratorium on drilling in the eastern Gulf.

On behalf of Floridas business community, we were disappointed by yesterdays pronouncement by the Obama administration effectively creating a moratorium on any drilling in the waters of the eastern Gulf of Mexico and, frankly, most of the U.S. offshore waters, said Bishop.

Bishop took aim at comments made by Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson who praised the decision.

Career politicians like Sen. Bill Nelsoncontinue to represent a small, vocal minority of citizens who are opposed to all drilling everywhere, continued Bishop. He claims the White House is listening to the people of Florida, but that is inconsistent with polling data demonstrating that a majority of Floridians support drilling and opposed this past summers efforts to place a ban on drilling in Floridas Constitution. It most certainly does not jibe with the clear message voters sent Washington last month.

This decision is a tremendous job-killer, insisted Bishop. Floridians are looking for proposals that create jobs, not policies that will endanger economic activity and increase our countrys reliance on foreign oil.Businesses across this state depend on affordable and accessible energy sources like petroleum and natural gas. Stifling domestic production of these resources creates unnecessary economic uncertainty and may further prolong the economic difficulties Floridians already face.

We must balance the need for safe exploration and production with the current economic challenges facing Florida and the rest of our nation, concluded Bishop. Banning economic activity of any kind is not the right message Floridians want to hear.