WASHINGTON (AP) - Vice President Joe Biden says the federal
government's oversight of offshore drilling "was as bad as I
thought it was...."
Biden was responding to a question about a New York Times story
published Friday about Gulf of Mexico drilling plans that received
approval from the Obama administration without the permits required
under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection
Act.
Biden told Pittsburgh radio station KDKA he thought lax federal
oversight of permits was a problem throughout his six-term Senate
career.
He said he opposed drilling as a senator during the Bush
administration "because they just sort of threw away the key."
Biden said that President Barack Obama's plan for drilling was
conditioned on there being "real serious oversight."

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