Sen. Jim Webb (D-VA) on Wednesday voted against legislation that would have prevented Virginia from using revenues from lease sales of its offshore resources to fund transportation and other critical projects.
The Offshore Production and Safety Act of 2011, introduced by Sen. Mitch McConnell, failed today in the Senate.
“I have long advocated opening up more of the nation’s outer continental shelf resources to responsible natural gas and oil exploration,” said Webb. “However, states deserve fair access to their own oil and gas reserves and an equitable share of any revenues from the sale of their offshore resources. Senator McConnell’s legislation falls short of this goal and would deny Virginia the ability to benefit financially from drilling along its own coastline.
“Furthermore, I have concerns about the authority this legislation would give the President to reject lease sales without consent of Congress.”
In 2008, Webb cosponsored legislation with Republican Senator John Warner to allow the Commonwealth to conduct energy exploration activities in the outer continental shelf with revenue-sharing provisions. Sen. Webb has also repeatedly urged the Obama Administration to keep Virginia’s Lease Sale 220 on schedule and has opposed administration efforts to delay exploration of the nation’s offshore resources.
Webb has consistently called for a holistic approach to addressing our nation’s energy needs. In 2009, he introduced the bipartisan Clean Energy Act with Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) to promote further investment and development of the nation’s clean energy technologies.
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