WASHINGTON - Congressman Adam H. Putnam (FL-12) today voted against energy legislation that includes a provision calling for an inventory of oil and gas resources in the Outer Continental Shelf.

“I, along with a majority of members of the Florida delegation, as well as millions of Floridians, have concerns about our coastal waters coming under increased pressure to access oil and gas reserves,” said Putnam.

H.R. 6, the Energy Conference Report, passed the House by a vote of 275 - 156. All but three of Florida’s twenty-five representatives opposed the bill.

“For far too long, America has been in need of a National Energy Policy that guards against wild price fluctuations and gets us away from our dependency on foreign oil. Too much of America’s energy comes from an unstable region, which threatens our national security,” said Putnam. “H.R. 6 represents the most sweeping energy legislation in decades and will help decrease our dangerous reliance on foreign sources of oil making our nation safer, and will help grow our economy by creating jobs and providing a stable energy supply.”

“Although I have voted five times to pass energy legislation since coming to Congress, I cannot support today’s conference report, even though it does include several valuable tools such as expanded production, increased conservation and a greater investment in renewable energy sources,” Putnam stated.

“While the inventory passed as part of this legislation today, it does not represent a blank check. The inventory must still be funded through the annual appropriations process,” concluded Putnam. “There will be other opportunities to address this issue. For the long term, our goal must be to secure the ‘stovepipe’ off Pensacola, and protect our shoreline within 100 miles.”