NTU urges all Representatives to vote “YES” on H.R. 1229, the Putting the Gulf of Mexico Back to Work Act. Introduced by Rep. Hastings (R-WA), this bill would bring an end to the Obama Administration’s de facto moratorium on new oil and gas development in the Gulf of Mexico by requiring the federal government to respond quickly and accountably to permit applications.
Althoughit has been more than six months since the Obama Administration’s moratorium onoffshore drilling ended, bureaucratic obstinacy has left the approval process forleases in this area at a standstill. This implicit “permitorium” has forcedrigs to leave our waters, caused energy exploration to dramatically slow, andsent investment flowing to other countries. In its determination to hamper theproduction of oil and gas while simultaneously subsidizing its favored energytechnologies, the Obama Administration is hurting job growth in America’seconomically fragile Gulf region while making prices unnecessarily high for allenergy consumers.
H.R.1229 would put an end to the political gamesmanship in the permitting processby requiring the Secretary of the Interior to act within a 30-day timeframeafter receiving a drilling application. The legislation also ensures offshoreenergy production is conducted responsibly by requiring a thorough safetyreview of all proposed drilling operations. For these reasons, NTU urges all Representatives to vote “YES” on H.R. 1229.Rollcall votes on this legislation will be significantly weighted in ourannual Rating of Congress.
If you have any questions, please contact
NTU Federal Government Affairs Manager Brandon Greife at(703) 683-5700
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