Cantor Calls for Real Leadership in Gulf Coast Crisis

Statement

Congressman Eric Cantor (VA-07) today issued the following statement in response to the President's announcement on offshore energy exploration and development:

"Right now America is dealing with an unprecedented environmental and economic disaster. We need to do everything we can to immediately stop, contain, and clean up the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. We must minimize the impact it has on our environment and the many industries affected by this tragedy. The people of the Gulf need our help, and we need to thoroughly investigate what went wrong and what caused this incident to ensure that it can never happen again. Pointing fingers, placing blame, and reversing previously made policy decisions is not the kind of leadership people want and deserve in times of crisis.

"In March, President Obama came to the Commonwealth to announce his energy policy and endorse offshore energy exploration off our coast and I applauded him for that. But just months later, he has now reversed himself. We should continue to explore and develop energy off the coast of Virginia and I remain committed to ensuring that future offshore operations occur in a safe and environmentally responsible way. A comprehensive energy policy and the responsible production of American made energy has the potential to create thousands of new jobs, reduce our reliance on foreign oil, and ensure our national security. In times of crisis, we need steady leadership -- not knee jerk reactions -- and I hope the Administration reconsiders this decision."

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