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REP. LIEU STATEMENT ON TRUMP’S OFFSHORE DRILLING EXECUTIVE ORDER

May 1, 2017

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WashingtonToday, Congressman Ted W. Lieu (D | Los Angeles County) issued the following statement regarding President Trump's Executive Order that directs the Department of Interior (DOI) to review the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's current 2017-2022 five-year oil and gas leasing plan. Under this executive order, the DOI will consider all areas of the Outer Continental Shelf for oil and gas leases.

"I am infuriated by President Trump's Executive Order that could open up California's coast to oil drilling. Increasing oil dependence will not make us more energy independent. Instead, it risks the ruin of our beautiful coastline and ocean ecosystems. Rather than advocating backward and destructive ideas that will wreak havoc on our oceans, we need to focus on the threat of rising seas and ocean acidification caused by climate change. My Democratic colleagues and I will fight tooth and nail to ensure that California's coast is not tarnished by offshore drilling."