Press Release
February 16, 2012
Congresswoman Susan Davis Opposes Oil Drilling Offshore
and in ANWR
WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Susan Davis (D-San Diego) once again opposed an attempt to expand oil drilling offshore and in the Arctic National Wildlife Reserve (ANWR).
“Like many debates in Washington, the debate on energy is a clash of ideas of the past versus the future,” said Davis. “We have a choice to keep pushing the policies of the past in oil drilling and the environmental risks that go along with it. Or we can move forward into the future and pursue a 21st Century policy of innovation by developing alternative and renewable forms of energy. I voted to move forward.”
The bill would open up more of the outer continental self to offshore drilling in Southern California, as well as the regions of the Mid-Atlantic/Virginia Coast, central Gulf of Mexico, western Gulf of Mexico, and the North Aleutian Basin near Alaska. It would also repeal the current law prohibiting drilling in ANWR.
Under the proposed legislation, the authority to approve the Keystone XL pipeline project would be transferred from the State Department to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). FERC would be required to issue a permit within 30 days of receiving an application for Keystone. If FERC takes no action to approve the permit, it would be deemed approved after the 30-day period.
“Oil drilling in America has increased and yet the price of gasoline still goes up,” said Davis. “Doing more of what does not work makes no sense. It’s time to take our energy policy to the next level.”
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