Landrieu Reacts to Oil Drilling Crisis in Gulf of Mexico

Louisiana Senator Landrieu finally stood up and did a little speaking truth to power. It appears the fact that Team Obama is hell bent to destroy the offshore oil drilling industry in order to perfect their far left ideology on environmental and energy policies.

The American offshore oil drilling industry is slowly dwindling away and that is the Obama plan. Nothing could be more clear - the far left intends to shut down a vital American industry and President Obama encourages them to do so.

"Tonight, I received news that the American Seahawk Drilling Company will file bankruptcy and exit the Gulf of Mexico. I have said repeatedly that the administration's excruciatingly slow release of oil and gas permits will cause job losses and undue economic hardship. Sadly, the worst-case predictions are now true, and we are still living this economic nightmare," said Sen. Landrieu.

"It seems that the six rigs that have left the Gulf and taken off for other places—taking U.S. jobs and tax dollars along with them—were not enough to wake up this administration. How many more rigs have to leave and how many more businesses have to close before it realizes the havoc the de facto moratorium is wrecking on the Gulf Coast? When these businesses close, people lose good paying jobs, our communities erode and our unique culture disappears.

"The most infuriating thing about this announcement is that the shallow water industry was not placed under the president's moratorium. Despite this, BOEMRE's new rules and regulations make it very difficult to conduct business in the Gulf. It is time the administration ends this madness and gets the folks along the Gulf Coast back to work."

As this article explains, the drilling company is the second largest shallow water driller in the country. This administration is dangerously ill-informed about the oil drilling industry. The commission put into place after the Deepwater Horizon explosion was made up of men without any oil drilling experience or even engineering education. It was a sham. It was a disgrace.

Since the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill, only 31 shallow water permits have been issued. Only one exploratory permit and no deep water permits have been issued.

To date, the shut down of the industry after the oil spill will amount to billions of dollars in loss of business and unemployment along the Gulf coast. Currently, our country buys crude oil from foreign countries to the tune of 60% of our consumption. There is no coherent energy policy. The middle east is in more turmoil than ever before in recent years. News flash - they don't wish us well. Shutting off our oil supply would be a great feat for them.

We need all energy producing techniques to supply our country's needs. Oil and natural gas drilling, nuclear, and wind. It can all work together. The oil drilling industry is the most regulated and highest taxed in America.

This administration intends to use more regulation to accomplish what they cannot at the ballot box. This has certainly proven true in oil drilling. They have stubbornly refused to obey an end of the federal moratorium on offshore drilling - even in shallow water. Permits and new leases have dried up from the shut down. Splitting the federal agency in two and adding more layers of red tape and bureaucracy have produced no good results. Quite the opposite - unless the intention is to completely shut down operations in the Gulf of Mexico and continue to deny drilling anywhere else.

I appeal to Senator Landrieu to hold a weekly news conference and update the public on the administration's actions. I demand better from this government.

You should, too.