The Chronicle

Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground, voted this week to support a bill to permanently block offshore oil drilling on the Washington and Oregon coasts.

H.R. 1941, which passed the U.S. House 238-189, amends the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act to permanently remove from consideration acreage for offshore leasing on both the Atlantic and Pacific Outer Continental Shelf.

“Washington residents do not believe that drilling off our coast is in our best economic interest, or in the best interest of our coastal ecosystem. I have supported specific solutions to maintain domestic supplies of energy and achieve energy independence, but those efforts shouldn’t include offshore drilling near communities and citizens who don’t support it. Washington supports a $50 billion maritime economy and 191,000 maritime-related jobs and I want to be sure those coastal economies are not put at risk,” Herrera Beutler said.