Williams Calls Democrat Energy Bill a "Sham"

Press Release

RELEASE - Williams Calls Democrat Energy Bill a "Sham"

Says bill will do little to increase domestic energy, will restrict access to oil and natural gas.

Calling the House Democrats' so-called energy legislation "a sham" that will lock away access to domestic oil and natural gas resources, Craig Williams today renewed his call for Democrats to allow an open debate on comprehensive energy legislation that will increase domestic energy production, reduce America's dependence on foreign oil, improve conservation measures, and invest in renewable energy resources.

"This bill is nothing more than a sham designed to provide political cover for endangered Democrats like Joe Sestak," said Craig Williams, the Republican candidate for Congress in Pennsylvania's 7th Congressional District. "This bill does little to increase access to domestic energy resources while locking away access to the most promising areas of oil recovery off our coasts. It locks away forever access to 97 percent of the oil resources off the coast of California - more than 10 billion barrels of oil. It also blocks access to drilling of the coast of Alaska, fertile grounds for oil recovery that has never before been restricted."

"By prohibiting coastal states from sharing in the government revenues that will be generated by the recovery of oil and natural gas off their shores, Democrats have created a strawman that will ensure that no state will permit drilling with 100 miles of their coast," said Craig Williams, "If a state is going to allow the recovery of oil 50 or 75 miles off is shore, it should share in the revenues being generated by the government so that it can reinvest that money, whether it be in projects to further improve the tourism industry, property tax reform or other priorities. This bill offers no incentive to states and as a result will do little to increase domestic oil and natural gas production."

Williams noted that even Democratic Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana has spoken out against the bill because of the lack of a revenue sharing provision. "‘I believe there is widespread support among Democrats and Republicans in the House and the Senate for some version of revenue sharing for the coastal states,' Landrieu said. ‘Because they do not have it in the House bill, I think it will be very difficult to pass it in the House and it most certainly won't see the light of day in the Senate." (The Times-Picayune, 9/13/08)

"Joe Sestak and the Democrats need to understand that this issue goes beyond just gas prices," said Williams. "We are projected to send one trillion America dollars overseas this year to the Middle East and other foreign countries. That is money that should be invested here at home to create jobs and grow our domestic economy. By relying so heavily on foreign nations, we hand them a great deal of control over our economy and our national security.""

"This is a sham bill that has no chance of becoming law," said Williams. "Democrats are so opposed to domestic oil production that they crafted a bill they knew was doomed to failure. That is cynical politics of its worst kind. Is it any wonder that this Congress has the lowest approval ratings in history? The American people deserve better."

Williams also took aim at a provision that would require more frequent lease sales in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska, noting the name of the reserve was a historical misnomer. He said when the government named the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska and the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge it did so completely backward.

Williams, who visited the North Slope of Alaska in July, said that National Petroleum Reserve is actually teeming with wildlife, particularly waterfowl. He said lawsuits by environmental groups, the lack of suitably rich oil deposits, and the failure of the Army Corps of Engineers to approve a pipeline over a key river were major impediments to the development of oil fields there. He said that Democrats know fully the impediments to oil development at the National Petroleum Reserve - including the roadblocks being thrown up by environmental lobbyists.

He said if Democrats were serious about increasing domestic oil production, they would allow drilling in the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge which, comparably, would have much less impact on wildlife, has more plentiful oil resources, and would require a less lengthy pipeline along the North Slope of Alaska.

Craig Williams is running for Congress the 7th Congressional District of Pennsylvania, comprising most of Delaware County and parts of Montgomery and Chester Counties. Williams is a former federal prosecutor, Marine combat veteran, and former active duty Deputy Legal Counsel to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He lives in Concord Township, Delaware County, with his wife Jennifer, daughter and two step-children. The 7th District is his home - where he lives, where his kids go to school, where he pays taxes, where he attends church, and where he intends to spend the rest of his life.

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