Secretary Salazar Refuses to Apologize to American People

Today, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar admitted that he alone, and not a panel of scientists, recommended the job-killing moratorium on deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. Secretary Salazar testified before the House Committee on Natural Resources that the President’s appointed panel of scientists did not recommend the moratorium in the Gulf in their report, but that he added that recommendation afterward. Many of the scientists on the panel later denounced the moratorium.

Last week, a federal judge overturned the ban. In his decision he rebuked the Obama administration for making a “misleading misrepresentation” in the case by suggesting that an expert panel supported the moratorium when its members did not.

Secretary Salazar Admits He Added Moratorium Recommendation to Key Document

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Excerpts of Exchange

Secretary Salazar:The question of whether or not we move forward with drilling activity in the outer continental shelf ultimately is the responsibility and duty under the law of the Secretary of the Interior. It is not the duty of the engineers or anyone else. That was my decision and I take full responsibility for that decision.

Congressman Lamborn:Do you think it’s appropriate to apologize to the American people for the wrongful interpretation that was put on the report?

Secretary Salazar:I don’t think there’s an apology that is necessary, Congressman Lamborn.

Congressman Lamborn:Mr. Secretary, I agree with you on what our goals and intentions are and need to be. And I agree that partisanship shouldn’t be part of that. But I am troubled that the experts had to come out and denounce the statement that was made that they had called for a moratorium when they did no such thing. In fact, it presents the competing safety problems by having just a blanket moratorium instead of having a more nuanced and focused approach. I am just troubled that they had to denounce that interpretation.

In a previous subcommittee hearing, Congressman Lamborn noted that the moratorium is estimated to have destroyed about 46,000 jobs almost immediately and will destroy as many as 300,000 jobs if it continues for a long period of time.  In addition, its direct impact will be felt for many years.  

The Energy Information Administration estimates the moratorium will result in reductions of domestic crude oil production that will average about 26,000 barrels per day in the fourth quarter of 2010 and roughly 70,000 barrels per day in 2011.

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