Dunedin Mayor Bob Hackworth's campaign for Congressional District 10, now represented by Rep. C.W. Bill Young, released this statement today on the drilling bill to encourage use of already leased lands:

 

On Thursday the House failed to pass H.R. 6515, the Drill Responsibly in Leased
Lands Act of 2008 by 34 votes. This bill
would have reinstated the ban on the export of Alaskan oil, required
maintenance on the Alaskan Pipeline and required the Secretary of the Interior
to conduct competitive bids for oil and gas leases. Representative C. W. Bill Young (R-FL) voted
against this sensible bill even though in recent weeks he has expressed a
willingness to lift the ban on offshore drilling. 

“Once again, for Rep. Young, the interests of big oil have
overshadowed the needs of the American people. Rep. Young appears more open to damaging

Florida

’s
coast than utilizing the already vast acreage available,” said Bob Hackworth,
Mayor of Dunedin and democratic candidate for the 10th Congressional District
currently represented by Rep. Young. 

There are currently over 68 million acres of federal land
leased by oil companies sitting idle in

Alaska

and the

Western

Gulf

. H.R. 6515 would have enacted a “use it or
lose it” provision which would require companies to either produce on the
leased land or return it back to the government. “How can Rep. Young and other elected
officials even think of drilling off of

Florida

’s
coast with all that land sitting idle? Congress should first use what we have before exposing the

Florida

coastline to possible environmental disaster,” said Hackworth.