The Obama Administration is at it again.

Not content to destroy our economy through de-valuing our dollar, rampant inflation and profligate entitlement spending through Obamacare – now the Washington D.C. liberal elite are coming after jobs right here in Texas.

The issue at hand is the proposal by the Obama Administration to list as federally endangered – the “Dunes Sagebrush Lizard,” or sand dune lizard. Critics believe this proposal is an entirely politically motivated move to hurt the energy industry in America. Regardless, the listing of the sand dune lizard under the federal Endangered Species Act could devastate oil and gas production in the Permian Basin for at least two years. Production in the following counties would be among the worst impacted: Gaines, Andrews, Ward, Winkler and Crane in Texas, and Lea, Chaves, Eddy and Otero in New Mexico.

Make no mistake – many businesses and jobs could be threatened by the potential eradication of oil and gas production in the above-named counties!

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will hold a public information session and public hearing on the matter on Wednesday, April 27, at the Midland Center. The public information session will be from 3:30 to 5 p.m., and more importantly, the public hearing will be held from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at which time speakers may provide two minutes of public testimony. Similar hearings will be held in New Mexico, the day after. If you can be in attendance at the public hearing, we encourage you to speak up and make your voice heard that the Obama administration should focus on saving American jobs and businesses instead of embarking on another battle in their ongoing assault against the Texas oil and gas industry!

Said RPT Chairman Steve Munisteri, “The United States is facing an energy crisis of enormous proportions. Our country unfortunately, is very dependent on foreign sources of oil from areas experiencing increased instability. This is both a national security problem and an economic problem for our country of great magnitude. We are already beginning to see some of the disastrous results of the Obama administration not having a comprehensive energy policy. Gas prices at the pump are approaching $4 a gallon, and could rise higher. More disturbingly, projections are, that by the end of the year, the world will use approximately 90 million barrels of oil per day, despite the fact that the world production capabilities are only approximately 88 million barrels of oil per day. Needless to say, as oil supplies tighten, prices will go up further, jeopardizing what is an anemic economic recovery and possibly causing a double-dip recession. That is why it is imperative for our government to adopt policies which encourage, not discourage, domestic oil and gas exploration as well as the utilization of other domestic sources of energy.”

Munisteri continued, “Unfortunately, the policies of President Obama have actually worked to make the country more dependent and have deepened our crisis. In his first two years in office, his environmental Protection Agency proposed classifying coal byproduct as a hazardous waste, thereby jeopardizing the economic viability of the utilization of coal, he placed a lengthy moratorium on offshore drilling permits, and now threatens the supply of oil from one of the most productive areas of Texas in order to protect a lizard. These types of policies are why it is imperative that we all work together to defeat President Obama next November, and in the meantime we ask all Republicans to stay engaged by raising opposition to this proposal.”

Former Midland Mayor Ernie Angelo echoed Munisteri’s sentiments, saying “It, frankly, is unbelievable to me that in a time when America is fighting at least two wars in the Middle East, offshore drilling in America has been severely diminished in the wake of the BP oil spill last year, the price of a barrel of WTI hovers at more than $110 and the price of a gallon of gas is close to $4 in some states, and the recession is still in full bloom, the federal government would propose such an act.”