(Washington, D.C.) – U.S. Sen. David Vitter today issued the following statement on the U.S. House of Representatives decision to postpone a vote on the U.S. Senate’s outer continental shelf legislation:

            “Although a vote did not take place today, I am confident that the leadership will keep its promise to bring up the bill and Congress will revisit this critical legislation later this week. 

            “The reason for postponing today’s vote was not due to a lack of majority support in the House but was because of the procedural nature of this particular vote requiring two-thirds support for passage.  I am optimistic that this legislation will receive conventional majority support when the House addresses it again. 

            “I and many others have spent great energy trying to rally support for the OCS bill, and in these final hours I will redouble my efforts with personal calls to those members who are still on the fence.

            “The people of Louisiana deserve a fair share of offshore oil and gas royalties, and this bill would provide critical resources to fund the comprehensive coastal, flood and hurricane protections that I have fought to have authorized in the Water Resources Development Act.

            “The passage of the OCS bill is the critical first step in a two-part process toward broad coastal restoration and Corps of Engineers reform,” said Vitter.