WASHINGTON—US Senator Bill Cassidy, MD (R-LA) released the following statement in response to the US Department of Interior’s plan to halt resource exploration in the Arctic.

“Once again the Obama administration is hindering America’s global competitiveness and energy security, allowing other countries to take the lead on energy production,” said Dr. Cassidy. “Halting resource exploration in the Arctic, after already banning exploration in the mid-Atlantic, will further cripple our ability to create jobs and provide economic security for the American people.”

The full Five-Year Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Oil and Gas Leasing Program plan can be found here.