U.S. Rep. Steve Scalise (R-Metairie), echoing sentiments expressed by our friend Steve Maley in Human Events today, suggested that events in Egypt indicate a grave threat posed by the Obama administration’s refusal to allow offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

“The crisis in Egypt further underscores the importance of reducing our dependence on Middle Eastern oil, and this is precisely why the Obama administration must stop blocking our attempts to drill safely in the pursuit of our energy independence,” Scalise said.  “The time has long passed to reduce our dependence on volatile Middle Eastern countries to meet our growing energy needs, and we must pursue a domestic energy strategy that safely harnesses all of America’s natural resources and creates high-paying jobs here at home.

“The Obama Administration’s current energy policy naively ignores the importance of an ‘all of the above’ energy policy and, as a result, severely jeopardizes American energy security and independence.  There is no better example of this neglect than the Administration’s refusal to issue a single new deepwater drilling permit for any activity covered by the moratorium in more than nine months, severely handicapping the production of domestic energy.  Without an end to the permatorium and immediate clarity from the Administration to jumpstart the exploration process, the President is running thousands more jobs out of our country while making us more dependent on Middle Eastern oil and jeopardizing America’s energy independence and our national security.”