Rep. Davis Reaches Out to Sen. Martinez in Drilling Fight

 

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Jim Davis called for Senator Mel Martinez’s help in persuading Congressional leaders to remove from the House Budget Reconciliation bill language to allow drilling off of Florida’s coasts. 

 

In the last week, the House Republican Leadership has indicated they may strike the bill’s provision to allow drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) in order to secure enough votes to pass the legislation.  In a letter sent to Sen. Martinez today, Rep. Davis urged the Senator to use his influence with the Senate Leadership to persuade House leaders to also strike language that opens up the Eastern Gulf of Mexico to drilling.

 

Specifically, the budget bill would eliminate the congressional and presidential moratoria which have prevented drilling off Florida’s coastline for the past two decades and essentially gut a law which gives states the ability to fight drilling projects off their shores. The bill is scheduled for a vote on the House floor on Thursday.

 

“Senator Martinez has been a vocal advocate for protecting Florida’s shores, and I hope that with his influence we will convince House leaders to abandon any effort to allow drilling in the Eastern Gulf,” said Congressman Jim Davis.  “With Florida’s economic prosperity at stake, we are pursuing every avenue to fight these drilling measures.”

 

Click here to read Rep. Davis' letter to Sen. Martinez.