Cliff Stearns: Obama Drilling Ban Increases U.S. Dependency on Foreign Oil

From his perch on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Republican U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns offered his thoughts on the Obama administrations announcement continuing the ban of drilling in the eastern Gulf.

This nation needs to utilize all of its energy sources, including those offshore, in an environmentally safe manner to move us toward energy independence, said Stearns. This decision by the White House means that we will become even more dependent on imported energy sources, including from unstable regions and from nations that do not share our commitment to freedom.

Todays decision by the Obama administration sends a clear message to our nations oil and gas industry: Take your capital, technology and jobs somewhere else, continued Stearns. In light of our weak economy, we should be able to open up more of offshore America to development, while keeping any new drilling at least 125 miles away from the coast of Florida.