Pelosi Statement on House Vote to Support Ban on Offshore Oil Drilling

October 16, 2003

Washington, D.C. -- House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi released the following statement today on last night’s vote by the House of Representatives to instruct energy bill conferees to remove a requirement for an “inventory” of the oil and gas resources in the entire Outer Continental Shelf and to protect the right of states to decide if development off their coasts is appropriate. The motion was offered by Congresswoman Lois Capps (D-CA).

"For the second time this year, the House voiced its deep objections to overturning the current ban on offshore oil and gas drilling in sensitive coastal regions, including California, the Pacific Northwest, Florida, Bristol Bay in Alaska, and the entire East Coast.

"The energy bill being considered in a House-Senate conference committee requires an inventory of oil and gas reserves in the Outer Continental Shelf -- including areas under a moratorium on drilling -- in flagrant disregard of the House vote in April to strike the inventory from the bill.

"The conferees should heed the clear message sent by the majority of this body and strip all provisions from the energy bill that would open up the moratorium areas to drilling and undermine states’ rights to protect their coasts. We cannot let that happen to our coastlines."

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