"I am going to tell my mommy," says one of the most reactionary and dumb GOP U.S. Representative.
The mouthpiece of the American empire, The Wall Street Journal, reports the following:
Florida Congressman Vern Buchanan has introduced a bill that may block Spanish oil giant Repsol YPF SA's (REP) plan to drill for oil in Cuban waters some 50 miles off the Florida coast, a press release sent by his Washington, D.C., office late Friday shows.
Buchanan, a Republican member of the House of Representatives, said the proposed bill, if approved, would allow the U.S. Interior Secretary to deny leases to companies that do business with nations facing U.S. trade sanctions, like Cuba. This constitutes a direct threat to Repsol, as the company has been active exploring for oil in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico in recent years and owns stakes in rigs off Texas and Louisiana.
Buchanan said he expects Repsol to scrap its plans to drill in Cuban waters if his legislation is passed, noting such plans represent a danger to Florida waters as experts believe Cuba would have no means to deal with an oil spill similar to that suffered by BP PLC (BP) in the Gulf of Mexico last year.
He cited the cancellation of Repsol's plans to build a gas development plant in Iran, in recent years, due to U.S. diplomatic pressure.
"Cuba's plan to drill for oil in its sovereign waters off the Florida Keys poses a serious threat to our tourism industry and our environment," Buchanan said. "It would take just three days for oil to reach Florida's beaches if a spill occurred at the site."
A spokesman for Repsol couldn't immediately comment on the issue.
-By David Roman, Dow Jones Newswires, +34 91 395 8127; david.roman@dowjones.com
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