WASHINGTON – WASHINGTON (AP) — Lawmakers are coming down on both sides of a federal judge's ruling against the Obama administration's moratorium on new deepwater drilling.
Republican Sen. David Vitter of Louisiana applauds the decision, saying it recognizes the president's powers aren't unlimited. Vitter also says the moratorium is "wreaking havoc on jobs" in his state.
Massachusetts Democrat Edward Markey, who chairs a House energy independence committee, called the ruling "another bad decision in a disaster riddled with bad decisions by the oil industry."
A New Orleans judge on Tuesday struck down the six-month ban imposed after the Gulf oil spill, saying the Interior Department had failed to provide adequate reasons for it.
The White House says it will appeal.
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