News

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following statement Monday regarding the President’s intention to lift the administrative ban on offshore exploration:

“Now the only thing standing between consumers at the pump and the increased American energy they are demanding is the Democrat leadership in Congress. We should act and act now; Congress should pass balanced legislation, like the Gas Price Reduction Act, to not only find more American energy, but to use less as well.

“Our bill does both, and with the administration’s action today, passing this bill will send a clear signal to the markets that we are serious about taking care of our energy needs here at home rather than a continued reliance on the Middle East. A growing number of members of Congress have signaled a willingness to join with us in passing legislation to expand deep-sea exploration and bring prices down at the gas pump. Now they will have a chance to join us in voting for it.”

Background

The administrative ban on offshore exploration is one of two hurdles to increased exploration. The Congress must also act to lift its legislative moratorium, to open the 85 per cent of the Outer Continental Shelf that is currently off-limits to oil and gas exploration.

###

‘Through his public courage and optimism in the face of what came to be his last challenge, he sought to give hope to many others’

LOUISVILLE— U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell made the following statement Saturday regarding the passing of Tony Snow:

“Tony, above all else, was a man who cherished his family. He was a man who inspired through example, and who sought to lift others. Through his public courage and optimism in the face of what came to be his last challenge, he sought to give hope to many others. Tony was a remarkable man, and this loss is felt by an enormous family of admirers that has only grown during his many years of public life.

“Elaine and I send our deepest condolences to the Snow family, but also our gratitude for sharing Tony with us these many years.”

###

‘Both of these fine officers are well prepared for their next responsibilities. As a nation we are lucky to be able to call upon such men at this critical point in American history’

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell delivered the following remarks on the Senate floor Thursday regarding Generals Petraeus and Odierno:

“We’ll have an opportunity today to confirm the nominations of two of our nation’s leading generals.

“Secretary Gates and Admiral Mullen have both, rightly, talked about the challenges facing the nation as we transition from one Presidential administration to the next during a time of war.

“The next president will be fortunate to have General Petraeus and General Odierno responsible respectively for the Central Command area of operations and Iraq.

“It is the nature of world events that the next President will be confronted with some international emergency that could not be anticipated.

“What we know is that our strategic interests in the Middle East and Persian Gulf are long-standing—and being challenged. We know that the threat of an Iranian regime bent on securing a nuclear weapon will not end when a new President is sworn in next year. We know that despite the real progress made as a result of the surge of forces into Iraq that the transition of forces, responsibilities and missions must be managed with a steady hand.

“Both of these fine officers are well prepared for their next responsibilities. As a nation we are lucky to be able to call upon such men at this critical point in American history.”

###

Recent Press Releases

Another Step Closer to Increased American Energy Production

July 14, 2008

TONY SNOW

July 12, 2008

Generals Petraeus and Odierno

July 10, 2008