Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) today made the following  statement in response to news that the Bush administration issued plans that would open the door to new offshore drilling in areas, including off the coast of California, that were previously protected by Presidential and Congressional moratoria:

“It is clear that President Bush intends to expand his disastrous environmental and economic policies right up to his last hours in office.

“During the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, this administration wants to threaten California’s $12 billion coastal economy and the 250,000 jobs that depend on it.

“I will work with our new President and my colleagues to fight this action every inch of the way and make clear once again that the oil companies already have leases to drill in millions of acres offshore that are not in sensitive areas and would not threaten our vital coastal tourism economy.”

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