Statement on Frank Wolf's False Statements re: China/Offshore Drilling

From the Feder campaign.

FRANK WOLF FACT CHECK:

Congressman Wolf Makes False Statement on House Floor

Repeats De-bunked Talking Point about China and Offshore Drilling

McLean, VA—On Monday August 4, 2008 Congressman Frank Wolf inaccurately claimed while delivering remarks on the House floor that the Cuban government "has given a lease to the Chinese" to conduct offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.

The following was reported in Politico on August 4, 2008:

Rep. Frank R. Wolf (R-Va.) railed about the fact that the Cuban government "has given a lease to the Chinese" to conduct offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. Wolf pointed out that the Chinese have provided economic and military support to the government of Sudan, and he attempted to tie the lack of offshore drilling in the United States to the genocide in Darfur, although most audience members — tourists and staff — seemed perplexed by his argument. [GOP Returns for Day 2 Talkathon, Politico, 08/04/08]

And from a press release sent by Congressman Wolf's office that same day:

In his remarks on the floor, Wolf, who supports allowing drilling off our coasts and in remote areas of Alaska, raised the issue of Cuba selling leases for offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico -- just 50 miles off the coast of Key West, Florida -- to China, India, Canada and Spain.

Contrary to Congressman Wolf's claims, China does not have a lease for offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. This claim is simply untrue, and has been debunked on more than one occasion over the last several months:

Jorge Pinon, a senior energy fellow at the University of Miami specializing in Latin America, said Cuba has awarded offshore oil leases, or concessionary blocs, in its offshore waters to six oil companies — none of them Chinese — and soon may announce an agreement with Brazil's state oil company, Petrobras. [Cheney Attacked for Comment on Chinese Offshore Drilling, USA Today, 06/12/08]

The China-Cuba connection is "akin to urban legend," said Sen. Mel Martinez, a Republican from Florida... [GOP claim about Chinese oil drilling off Cuba is untrue, McClatchy Newspapers, 06/11/08]

China's oil company, Sinopac, has conducted exploratory drilling on a lease on land in western Cuba, but is not involved in the offshore development. [Cheney Attacked for Comment on Chinese Offshore Drilling, USA Today, 06/12/08]

"Judy thinks all options should be on the table, including offshore drilling. But she also believes that we ought to be having an honest discussion based on factual evidence, not misleading the general public with the kind of misinformation that came from Congressman Wolf just a few days ago," said Luke McFarland, Feder campaign manager. "It's hardly a surprise to see these kinds of tired political tactics from people like John Boehner, Roy Blunt and Rudy Giuliani, but it is disappointing to see something like this from Congressman Wolf. I guess after 27 years in Congress, it's difficult to break free from the same old Washington games. But the voters really do deserve better than that."