At a Metairie Town Hall meeting Tuesday morning focusing on the BP Gulf of Mexico oil disaster and President Obama’s offshore drilling moratorium, U.S. Congressman Steve Scalise (R-Metairie) said the full Louisiana Congressional Delegation is opposed to Obama’s moratorium and the President isn’t doing enough in the Gulf.

“There is a role that the President is supposed to play,” Scalise said, “I still don’t see the President doing enough.”

Scalise talked about the frustration local officials and residents are feeling regarding the continued gushing of oil into the Gulf and BP’s attempt to control the cleanup effort. “BP should not be the one to tell us what we can and can’t do. We should try everything and see what works.”

The Congressman also blasted the President and Federal Government officials for their slow response to the oil disaster, now over 50 days old. “Washington (D.C.) looks at this as disaster recovery. I want to see more of a sense of urgency from the Federal Government.”

“I’m tired of Federal officials coming down here and talking tough like John Wayne and returning to Washington and talking like Pee Wee Herman,” Scalise quipped. Scalise denounced the President’s 6-month drilling moratorium as a “misdirected approach” to the problem. Like illegal immigration, “Laws need to be enforced that are already on the books. We can’t shut down an entire industry because of one company.”

According to the Congressman, the drilling moratorium will cost Louisiana over 30,000 direct jobs and thousands of other jobs in trickle-down industries like shipyards, grocery and supply stores. Scalise also noted that the impact of the moratorium will reach the entire nation. “There were workers on the Deepwater Horizon from 12 other states.”

Regarding the President’s comment that those who lose their jobs due to the drilling moratorium can file for unemployment, Scalise said the comment was “an insult” to the people impacted.

The drilling moratorium is “Not the kind of help we need, Mr. President,” Scalise said.

According to Scalise, the drilling ban will lead to increased national debt due to the loss of oil royalties, higher unemployment, and increase our dependence on Foreign oil. “I thought the President’s ban was written by OPEC,” Scalise said. He noted that the drilling ban impacts U.S. companies only, not Foreign companies like BP.

The Congressman urged residents to call the White House and continue to let the President know they are unhappy with the Federal Government’s response to the oil disaster and cleanup efforts.

Originally posted at ClickJefferson.com.