Sen. Dan Coats Votes To Increase Nation’s Energy Supply

Indiana's Sen. Dan Coats has voted to increase offshore energy supplies.

Coats Votes to Increase America’s Energy Supply

“With our country facing a job and energy crisis, it is irresponsible to continue locking up American energy and delaying permits.”

WASHINGTON, DC – Senator Dan Coats (R-Ind.) today voted for legislation that would unlock offshore energy production, improve safety operations and require federal bureaucrats to act on permits in a timely manner.

The Offshore Production and Safety Act, introduced by Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell and cosponsored by Coats and 16 other senators, would increase the nation’s energy supply and create American jobs.

Despite bipartisan support for every provision in the bill, the legislation failed 42 to 57. 

“Every Hoosier family and business is impacted by high energy costs,” said Coats, a member of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee. “I am disappointed the Senate failed to pass this commonsense legislation that would have created much-needed American jobs and increased domestic energy production. With our country facing a job and energy crisis, it is irresponsible to continue locking up American energy and delaying permits. Congress needs to stop playing politics and work to bring jobs back home by reducing our dependence on foreign oil.”

The Offshore Production and Safety Act of 2011 would:

Restore American Offshore Production

• Directs the Secretary of the Interior to conduct previously scheduled offshore lease sales in the Western and Central Gulf of Mexico, Virginia, and Alaska.
• Extends lease terms by one year for Gulf leases which were suspended under the 2010 Obama Moratorium.

Improve Safety

• Amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to require all lessees develop spill response and containment plans.
• Establishes a public/private task force on oil spill response and mitigation, requiring a report to Congress and interested federal agencies (funded through existing Sec. 999 programs).
• Orders a study on federal response to oil spills by the Comptroller General to examine capabilities and legal authorities associated with spill prevention and response to clarify appropriate federal roles.

Require Bureaucratic Efficiency

• Puts reasonable time limits on the review of and decision on drilling permits, providing for 30 days of application review with two opportunities for the Interior Department to extend the time period. 
• Provides for default approval if the Interior Department does not reject the application within 60 days.
• Directs the Interior Department to provide rationale for rejection of permits.
• Protects regional authority by limiting judicial review of agency approvals of certain OCS energy projects to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and provides for expedited hearing.