WASHINGTON, (WOWO) — President Biden signed an executive order on Monday that banned any further off-shore drilling for oil along the coast line of the United States as well as other U.S. territorial waters in the Gulf of Mexico and the Bering Sea. In a statement, Biden said drilling off the coasts may cause irreversible damage and is not needed to meet America’s energy needs. Former President Barack Obama made a similar move in 2016 to protect 119 million acres of land before leaving office. Biden said the time is now to protect our coasts for our children and grandchildren. Many on Capitol Hill, like Rep. Erin Houchin (R-IN-9th), disagree. Houchin told the Washington Watch podcast with Tony Perkins this week that drilling for additional oil to help decrease the country’s dependence on foreign oil would be a big help to the economy. “Biden’s order is just a stick in the eye of the American people because we can quickly turn that around,” Houchin said. “We were energy independent for the first time in 40 years under Trump’s former presidency. We will get there again. HR1 is our Unleash American Energy Act.” Houchin believes reducing energy costs by drilling on U.S. shores for more oil will help drive down some of the higher costs that Americans are paying these days. “It’s one of the quickest ways to get the economy back on track,” Houchin said. “That will reduce the cost of goods. It will reduce the cost of transporting good across the country.” Houchin added that off the re-election of Mike Johnson as House Speaker and with Republicans controlling both chambers that the GOP is “ready to hit the ground running” to give Donald Trump a “head start” once he takes office as president again later this month. The post Biden Signs Executive Order On Monday appeared first on WOWO News/Talk 92.3 FM and 1190 AM.