Graham Reaction to Obama Speech on Drilling
March 31, 2010
WASHINGTON, DC – March 31, 2010 – U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham(R-South Carolina) today made this statement on the ObamaAdministration’s proposal to open additional areas to offshore drilling.
“I listened with great interest to President Obama’s speech encouragingthe nation to adopt comprehensive policies which allow us to becomeenergy independent. I intend to answer the call by working with myRepublican and Democratic Senate colleagues to put our nation on apathway to energy independence and a cleaner environment.
“I thought the President’s speech correctly emphasized the nationalsecurity aspects of this problem. He did a very good job of explainingthe challenges we face and how our own national security is placed atincreased risk by our reliance on foreign oil.
“The time has come for our nation to embrace comprehensive,game-changing energy policies which lead to energy independence. Theincremental changes we have adopted in the past have simply led to moreand more dependence on foreign oil.
“My goal for comprehensive energy legislation has been to achieve threeobjectives – energy independence, the creation of clean jobs, and having the cleanest air on the planet. As Americans, we deserve nothing less.
Proposal on Drilling:
“As to the Obama Administration’s proposal for environmentally soundoffshore exploration for American oil and natural gas, this is a goodfirst step. But there is more that must be done to make this proposalmeaningful and the game-changer we all want it to become.
“Among the areas we still need to address – encouraging states to allowexploration by sharing a portion of the revenue raised from oil and gasdrilling, opening even more areas of the Eastern Gulf to exploration,the inclusion of viable drilling sites in the Atlantic and Pacific, andexpanding the list of areas we inventory for possible reservoirs of oiland gas.
“It is a national disgrace that as a nation we are more dependent onforeign oil today than we were before 9/11. Drilling is an importantpiece to making our nation more energy independent as every barrel ofoil or gallon of gas we find or produce in America is one less we needto purchase from regimes who hate us. But I realize we cannot simplydrill our way to energy independence.
“We need a comprehensive energy strategy for our nation that breaks ouraddiction to foreign oil. We need a robust expansion of nuclear power. We need to price carbon in a consumer-friendly manner to help speedalong the exciting, new technologies out there. We need to promoteenergy efficiency for our homes and businesses.
“It should be our national goal to once and for all break our addictionand unhealthy dependence on foreign oil. But that will not happen if we believe the status quo is good enough.”
