With 1,300 miles of oceanfront and a tourism industry of $57 billion, I have always been cautious to offshore drilling.  However with the price at the pump approaching $4.15 a gallon and crude oil at over $140 a barrel, it is time for us to to drill offshore with common sense restrictions.

Every day that we delay such action, we delay relief for already stretched thin American families who are being drained at the pump.  Congress must respond to the outcry of the American people and take serious action to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and gas.

Due to new technologies, we can now drill deeper than ever before allowing us to tap into rich reserves in an environmentally sensitive way,

I support drilling as long as it is at least 50 miles offshore, and the Department of Defense says that it will not hinder military missions and training offshore.

I welcome recent calls from President Bush, Sen. McCain, and Florida Governor Charlie Crist to repeal the congressional and Presidential moratoria on offshore drilling.  If the repeal is combined with the common sense measures that I have previously stated, I believe this nation would take a much needed step forward in our energy independence.

The Department of the Interior estimates there are 86 billion barrels of oil reserves and 420 trillion cubic feet (tcf) of natural gas in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS).

Now that we have the ability to protect our environment and military mission while simultaneously protecting our national and economic security, America must embrace exploration of our existing resources.  To not do so, would not only be irresponsible, but illogical.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, June 18th, 2008 at 2:54 pm and is filed under Politics .