Central Louisiana News

U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) recently criticized the Biden administration for its hostility towards oil and gas development. During a Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee hearing, Cassidy questioned officials from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) about the administration's treatment of the industry.

Cassidy specifically raised concerns about the restrictions imposed on the oil and gas industry in relation to the Rice's whale in the Gulf of Mexico. He pointed out that there has only been one confirmed sighting of the whale in the Gulf, yet there are restrictions that solely apply to vessels in the energy industry, not to military, commercial fishing, or recreational vessels.

"The last refuge of the scoundrel is saying 'That's what the science says,'" Cassidy said. "We've seen consistently how that's been used to manipulate the American people. There has been one confirmed sighting of a Rice's Whale outside that core area ever. And that's being used to create a band from Florida to Texas, through which in an uneconomical way, vessels required to develop Outer Continental Shelf oil can only go ten miles per hour, but no other vessel—not military, not recreational, not fishing, etc.… How [does this not] represent hostility by the administration to the jobs that the working Americans have in [the oil and gas] industry?"

Cassidy went on to criticize the Biden administration's overall approach to the oil and gas industry, which he described as a "death by a thousand cuts" for American workers. He emphasized the impact on individuals who rely on the industry for their livelihoods and accused the administration of prioritizing its ideological agenda over the economic needs of working Americans.

"If you're the guy or the gal making your living [and] sending your kid to a better school because you work in an industry related to [oil and gas], as many in Louisiana and others do, you've got to feel like you got a big target on you by the Biden administration," Cassidy said. "They're coming after me. They're coming after my job. They don't care about me. They just care about their agenda, which tends to be ideological, and not associated with my own economic needs."

Cassidy also highlighted the environmental benefits and job creation potential of energy development in the Gulf of Mexico. He pointed out that oil and gas production in the Gulf has the lowest carbon footprint compared to resources obtained from other parts of the world. Despite this, the Biden administration continues to rely on foreign countries, some of which have lower environmental standards, for natural resources.

"We're not going to make the same progress against climate change if we choose to get our oil and gas resources from areas of the world that have lower environmental standards," Cassidy stated. "Since we know we're going to be using oil, why not get it where there's a lower carbon intensity? And oh, by the way, it creates American jobs."

The Biden administration's approach to the oil and gas industry has faced criticism from Cassidy and others who argue that it undermines American energy independence, jeopardizes jobs, and neglects the environmental benefits of domestic production. Cassidy has been actively opposing efforts to impose further restrictions on the industry, including the introduction of the Warding Off Hostile Administrative Lease Efforts (WHALE) Act.

The WHALE Act aims to prevent the U.S. Departments of Commerce and the Interior from issuing maritime rules related to the Rice's whale that would impede offshore energy development and military activities. Cassidy has also joined his colleagues in urging NOAA and NMFS to withdraw a proposed rule designating a large portion of the Gulf of Mexico as a "critical habitat" for the Rice's whale, which could potentially hinder oil and gas operations in the area.

As the debate over energy policies continues, Cassidy remains a vocal advocate for the oil and gas industry and the workers who depend on it. He remains committed to holding the Biden administration accountable for what he sees as a disregard for the economic needs of working Americans and the potential benefits of domestic energy production.

For additional details, please follow this link: https://www.cassidy.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/cassidy-calls-out-biden-administration-hypocrisy-hostility-towards-oil-and-gas-development