O’Rourke pledges first-day halt on new oil drilling leases

April 29, 2019

Momentum building for all Democratic candidates to support the action

Columbia, SC— Democratic Presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke has released a powerful day-one agenda on climate change.  Included is the pledge to stop new fossil fuel leases.

“Former Congressman O’Rourke’s pledge for a first-day action on stopping new offshore oil drilling leases demonstrates his commitment to protecting our oceans,” said Frank Knapp Jr., President/CEO of the South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce.  “Senator Elizabeth Warren and now Beto O’Rourke have paved the way for all the other Democratic Presidential candidates to include this specific, first-day action plan in their platforms.”

Mr. Knapp has called a first-day moratorium on new oil drilling leases a litmus test for any Democratic candidate to be successful in Atlantic and Pacific coastal states elections.  Such a pledge will also be a clear signal to the petroleum industry that it should abandon its expansion plans, Knapp wrote.

Contact:   Frank Knapp, President/CEO, 803-252-5733, 803-600-6874 (c),  fknapp@scsbc.org

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The South Carolina Small Business Chamber of Commerce is a statewide advocacy organization founded in 2000.  With over 10,000 small business and entrepreneur supporters, it has successfully worked to make South Carolina more small business friendly in areas such as healthcare, taxation, regulation, worker training, energy/conservation, workers’ compensation and economic development.

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