Rep. Robert Hurt Pushes For Drilling Off VA Coast
Congress has been focused on oil drilling and energy policies this week, with a lot of chatter on H.R. 1229, the Putting the Gulf of Mexico Back to Work Act, and H.R. 1231, the Reversing President Obama's Offshore Moratorium Act.
The former bill expedites the permitting process for offshore drilling, while the latter directs the Secretary of the Interior to expand the areas available leased for the purpose of drilling.
Rep. Robert Hurt (VA-05) delivered the following remarks in the House today in support of offshore energy development off the coast of Virginia, arguing that it would create jobs and lower prices:
“It is estimated that offshore energy development in Virginia – which has bipartisan support – could lead to the production of more than half a billion barrels of oil and 2.5 trillion cubic feet of natural gas and create nearly 2,000 jobs for our state," Hurt said.