Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-NM) released the following statement today in response to President Obama and Secretary of Interior Ken Salazar’s announcement to permit offshore drilling for oil and gas:
I commend Secretary Salazar for proposing a plan that makes available for leasing much of the potential offshore oil and gas resources that the Federal government owns. I also commend him for indicating that additional studies will be undertaken before making a final decision on leasing in areas that might be environmentally sensitive.
Secretary Salazar’s proposed plan is generally consistent with the legislative proposals regarding our offshore national oil and gas resources that the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee reported last summer. I hope that the Senate will address these legislative proposals in the coming weeks.
