- March 31, 2010
Senator Carper’s Statement on President Obama’s Offshore Oil and Gas Development and Exploration Proposal
“I support President Obama’s willingness to explore options for increasing our domestic supply of oil and gas as part of a comprehensive strategy that also encourages expanded use of clean, renewable energy and increased energy efficiency. Some of the dollars spent to import foreign oil and gas ends up in the hands of people or countries who don’t like us very much. Reducing our dependence on imported oil and gas is an important goal, and the President is taking this challenge seriously.
“While I don’t believe we can just drill our way to energy independence, I do support limited exploration if it is done in an environmentally feasible manner and in a way that does not diminish states’ interests, which I believe is possible. Delaware’s beaches and coastlines attract millions of tourists each year who contribute to the state’s economy and we must be mindful of that as any activity is considered off our coast or off the coast of any neighboring states.
“I will be looking closely at the President’s proposal to expand offshore drilling to make sure it meets those criteria. As a former Governor I have seen the benefit in the federal government cooperating with states to achieve shared goals such as protecting the environment and reducing our dependence on foreign oil. States have an important role to play in offshore energy development and that role should be respected.”