Biden’s offshore oil agenda draws sharp words at hearing

By Heather Richards | 04/19/2024 06:43 AM EDT

“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” Rep. Garret Graves (R-La.) told one witness.

Reps. Pete Stauber (R-Minn.) and Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.).

House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources Chair Pete Stauber (R-Minn.) and Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.) last year. The two sparred at a hearing Thursday on offshore energy. Francis Chung/POLITICO

House Republicans on Thursday said estimated Gulf of Mexico oil reserves are just the “tip of the iceberg” of what the U.S. could produce if the Biden administration got behind the industry.

Rep. Pete Stauber (R-Minn.), chair of the Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, said U.S. offshore oil could fill the widening gap between rising demand around the world and falling discoveries.

He also criticized the Biden administration during a hearing for holding fewer offshore oil sales and not supporting seismic testing that could spur development.

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“Providing more opportunities to lease will be key to unlocking the full potential of America’s offshore energy resources,” Stauber said. “We can forge a path towards a more secure, sustainable and prosperous offshore energy future for future generations.”

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