Since then, the Bureau of Land Management has allowed bidding on leases for oil exploration. But some Democratic members of congress have indicated they would like to see the ban restored.

But Walden, whose state is also on the Pacific coast, told CNSNews.com that offshore oil drilling should contribute an important part of the country’s energy supply while greener technologies are being developed.

“We have to have natural gas,” he said. “We have to have U.S. oil production. There may be as much as 75 percent of our proven reserves that are on federal lands or in the ocean combined. It’s a huge opportunity for this country to become energy independent.”

Walden added that he thinks the process of offshore oil drilling could also provide an excellent stimulus to the U.S. economy.

“This is the timeline, when the economy is down, that we should be doing exploration,” said Walden. “Now is the time we should invest.

“I think you have to have the whole mix as we work towards less carbon and less fossil fuel, but we are not going to get there overnight, so in between I don’t want to go back to $5 gas and diesel,” said Walden.

From what I can tell, the right hates America.