Brian Davis: Congress Should Lift Moratoria on Drilling in U.S. Outer Continental Shelf

Davis: Congressman Walz misstated facts in recent Rochester Post-Bulletin article

For Immediate Release

Contact: Brad Biers
651.261.2182
June 24, 2008

(Rochester, MN) - Today, Brian Davis, the endorsed Republican candidate for the First District of Minnesota, called upon Congressman Walz and others in Congress to lift the moratoria on offshore drilling that exists around nearly all of the U.S. coastline.

Dr. Davis commented, "Congressman Walz recently stated that eighty percent of the outer continental shelf is open for oil exploration and that 'they're not doing it' in reference to oil company drilling. Clearly, the Congressman is badly mistaken because much less than eighty percent of America's coastline and territorial waters are being explored for oil deposits. It's actually closer to ten percent." Presently, the Atlantic, eastern Gulf of Mexico, Pacific and most of the Alaskan coasts of the United States have been off-limits for exploration and leasing since 1982. Only the western Gulf of Mexico is under active exploration.

Davis continued, "We need to make the right decisions now and put Americans to work to help solve the problem of soaring gas prices. The U.S. Department of the Interior estimates there is nearly 100 billion barrels of oil in the outer continental shelf and Alaska. That's enough oil to provide our country's needs for over a dozen years at current rates of consumption. Modern methods of oil exploration and drilling are safe and environmentally sensitive so there should be much less concern in this area than in the past."

"It's simply inexcusable that Congressman Walz and others in Washington claim lifting these restrictions won't help our economy and work to reduce gas prices. The majority of Americans favor removing these obstacles so that U.S. oil supply will increase. Access to greater domestic oil supplies would be in the best interest of our Nation and for families of southern Minnesota," stated Davis.

"Congress should stop blaming others for the current $4 a gallon gas prices and take a close look in the mirror. Removing the moratoria is a simple action that Congress can take in order to move us in the right direction," concluded Davis.

Brian Davis is a physician who treats cancer patients and resides in Rochester with his wife Lori and their four children.