Lafayette Advertiser
By Rep. Charles Boustany
June 13, 2010

“…As the president struggles to gain control of the situation, people across Louisiana have rolled up their sleeves to stop the spill, clean up affected wildlife and protect our fragile ecosystems.

This spill is a disaster, but we can overcome it. Overcoming this challenge requires communication and cooperation between the private sector and all levels of government. My colleagues in Congress and I continue to press the administration to step up their coordination, which unfortunately has been lacking.

Ill-conceived decisions made by the president and members of his administration threaten our way of life, as the moratorium on deepwater energy production has led companies to begin moving rigs overseas and eliminating Louisiana jobs. As our state struggles through this challenge, why isn’t the president working to help Louisiana workers and families?…

Many of our small towns along the coast depend almost entirely on the energy sector. According to the Louisiana Mid-Continent Oil and Gas Association’s recent analysis, the administration’s continued moratorium threatens more than 26,000 jobs that normally exist aboard platforms. Thousands of additional jobs servicing these rigs also hang in the balance, including welders, suppliers, caterers and dockworkers…

Louisiana supplies the energy to power America, and that will not change. We need to continue this proud tradition in an environmentally responsible way. I will continue to work to protect our way of life, which means balancing our environmental, energy and economic needs in a responsible way.

The president must listen to the people of Louisiana who understand the delicate balance between our environment, energy and economy.”

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