Jul 14 2008
N.C. Reps Changing Tune on Offshore Drilling
Already in North Carolina, Sen. Elizabeth Dole and Reps. Mike McIntyre and Walter Jones, both of whom represent coastal counties, have switched their positions.
All now support offshore drilling with the state’s approval. Dole and Jones are Republicans. McIntyre is a Democrat.
President Bush lifted the executive order today, ironically put in place by his father, that banned drilling off the coast of much of the U.S. While this does not clear the final path for coastal drilling, it eliminates one of the final hurdles. The Congress still has to repeal their ban and while that has been an uphill battle for years, many representatives are changing their tune.
The quick pace of rising gas costs have made this a top issue for voters across the country. With the exception of a few in heavily leftist areas, representatives in Congress are going to face strong resistance from their constituents if they continue to oppose efforts to open up our coastal waters. We will undoubtedly see more members of Congress coming over to our side of the aisle on this.
