Ted Poe: “The Interior Department said there will be a new ban on offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. That will cost us…”

“The Interior Department said there will be a new ban on offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. That will cost us thousands of good-paying jobs in the gulf region, especially around Texas and Louisiana. The administration promised us that domestic oil production was an important part of our energy future; but for the last 6 months, the Federal Government has blocked drilling at every turn, leaking a permit out here and there only just lately. But now they say it's safe to drill again, and what do they do? They ban drilling. The Cubans are going to drill offshore next year, and from what they're saying, they will partner with the Russians and the Chinese. Madam Speaker, since when is it okay for China, Russia, and Cuba to drill off our shores and not America? Not only that, the American taxpayer is sending money by the administration to Brazil and Mexico to let those countries drill off their shores. Is the administration at war with the American energy companies? Maybe so. And that's just the way it is.”