Senate rejects offshore drilling in Virginia
The U.S. Senate rejected legislation Wednesday that would compel the Obama administration to begin leasing sites off the coast of Virginia and in the Gulf of Mexico to offshore drilling companies.
The vote, rejected largely along party lines, comes less than two weeks after Republicans in the House of Representatives approved a similar bill.
U.S. Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., said he supports oil and natural gas exploration off the nation's coast. However, he voted against Wednesday's bill because it would not guarentee Virginia a share of the millions of dollars the lease sales are expected to generate.
His office issued a statement that says the bill "would deny Virginia the ability to benefit financially from drilling along its own coastline."
To read the full story, click here.