'A Step in the Right Direction'

Washington, DC – Following the President’s announcement that he will abolish the 18-year old presidential moratorium on offshore energy production, Representative John E. Peterson, R-Pa., the leading force in congress to increase offshore energy production, issued the following statement:

“I commend the President for his decision to eliminate one of the many hurdles that restricts the environmentally responsible practice of offshore oil and natural gas exploration and production. His actions today are a step in the right direction and should serve as an example for Speaker Pelosi and leaders in Congress.

“Make no mistake, the price at the pump and sky-high natural gas prices are the result of 27 years of failed Washington policies. The politics of fear, implored by fourteen consecutive Congresses and three presidents, at the behest of radical environmental groups like Greenpeace, Sierra Club and the Center for Biological Diversity, are the reasons Americans are paying record prices for energy.

“Today’s announcement by President Bush is by no means a silver bullet in reducing the price at the pump. Along with increased conservation and investment in alternative energies, Congress must now act to rescind its 27-year legislative prohibition on offshore energy production, streamline the leasing and permitting process and consider a comprehensive energy package to bring real relief to the American people.”