Anthony Weiner Joins Struggle Against Offshore Drilling Danger
To all but a willingly blind few, the dangers of offshore drilling have been made obvious by the cataclysmic Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. For all but those who have been caught in the money spill from Big Oil, the solution is obvious as well: The moratorium on the expansion of offshore drilling must be restored.
Today, legislation that would create just this sort of needed protection from the risk of future offshore drilling disasters took a step forward. U.S. Representative Anthony Weiner, from New York City, added his name to the sponsors of the No New Drilling Act, H.R. 5248.
This bill, unlike others that only protect certain portions of shoreline, would prevent the dangers of offshore drilling from reaching into new waters throughout all the territory of the United States. It states that “no lease may be issued for the exploration, development, or production of oil, gas, or any other mineral on the outer Continental Shelf .” Existing offshore drilling platforms would continue to operate, and so, existing jobs would not be threatened. However, the generation-long moratorium on the expansion of offshore drilling that existed until just two years ago would be restored.
Congressional leadership in both the Democratic and Republican parties is reluctant to bring this bill to a vote, because it threatens the corporate special interests of Big Oil companies that flood congressional campaigns with donations every year. So, it’s up to ordinary voters like you to push members of the House of Representatives to provide genuine, strong protections of America’s shores.
Take Action: Call your Representative in Congress through the congressional switchboard at (202) 224-3121, and request a cosponsorship of H.R. 5248, the No New Drilling Act.
