President Barack Obama's plan to allow expanded offshore oil and gas
exploration won rebuke from the top House Republican on Wednesday.
House
Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) dismissed the president's plan as
not going far enough in opening up U.S. waters for exploration.
Obama's
decision "continues to defy the will of the American people," Boehner
said in a statement, pointing to the president's decision to open
Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico waters, while leaving Pacific and many Alaskan
waters largely closed to exploration.
"It's long past time for
this Administration to stop delaying American energy production off all
our shores and start listening to the American people who want an “all
of the above” strategy to produce more American energy and create more
jobs," the House GOP leader added. "Republicans are listening to the
American people and have proposed a better solution – the American
Energy Act – which will lower gas prices, increase American energy
production, promote new clean and renewable sources of energy, and
encourage greater efficiency and conservation."
Obama's
allowance of increased exploration is seen as a concession to centrists
in his own party and some Republicans in Congress, especially as a
tripartisan group of senators work on cobbling together a comprehensive
energy and climate bill.
For his part, Boehner tied today's
administration decision to potential climate rules under consideration
by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as well.
"At the
same time the White House makes today’s announcement, the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) is plotting a new massive job-killer that the
American people can’t afford: a cascade of new EPA regulations that
will punish every American who dares to flip on a light switch, drive a
car, or buy an American product. Americans simply don’t want this
backdoor national energy tax that will drive up energy and
manufacturing costs and destroy jobs in our states and local
communities," the Ohio Republican said.
Cross-posted from the Briefing Room
