Since 1982, drilling for oil and natural gas has been off-limits along much of our nation’s coastline. But in September 2008, the U.S. Congress allowed the drilling bans to lapse, a decision with profound consequences—both positive and negative—for our nation’s economy and environment. Yet according to congressional staff, legislators did not review a single comprehensive study of potential costs and benefits before casting their votes.
Policy Integrity sent letters and placed calls to key congressional members and staff, encouraging them to delay any action until after commissioning a full cost-benefit analysis of the regulatory options.
Our letters went out to party and committee leadership, calling for a carefully conducted and peer-reviewed study prepared by the Government Accountability Office, the National Academy of Sciences, or some other trusted organization.