Vitter: Obama Support For Brazil Oil Drilling Is ‘Ridiculous’

(Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Sen. David Vitter today made the following comments after President Obama’s remarks over the weekend suggesting the United States should become more dependent on oil imported from Brazil.

“We have abundant energy resources off Louisiana’s coast, but this administration has virtually shut down our offshore industry and instead is using Americans’ tax dollars to support drilling off the coast of Brazil,” said Vitter. “It’s ridiculous to ignore our own resources and continue going hat-in-hand to countries like Saudi Arabia and Brazil to beg them to produce more oil. We need to get serious about developing our resources here at home and working towards lower gas prices and long-term energy independence.”

Vitter last week sent a letter to the president of the taxpayer-established U.S. Export-Import Bank urging him to provide a full accounting of the return on investment of U.S. taxpayer dollars for a $2 billion loan given to Brazil’s state-owned oil company, even as drilling remains virtually shut down off the Gulf Coast.

Filed Under: barack obama, David Vitter

Categories: Political