{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/in-the-news/obama-bans-oil-drilling-in-areas-off-nj-coast", "Obama bans oil drilling in areas off N.J. coast", "2016-12-20", "2016", "2016-12", "Democrat", "House", "NJ", "Robert Menendez", "M000639", "www.menendez.senate.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Obama bans oil drilling in areas off N.J. coast \n\t\t\t\n Obama bans oil drilling in areas off N.J. coast \n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tPrint\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tEmail\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t  \n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTweet\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t \n\t\nTuesday, December 20, 2016\n\t\n  \n    By:\u00a0\n    Jonathan D. Salant\n\n\u00a0  President Barack Obama on Tuesday permanently banned\u00a0oil and gas drilling\u00a0off the New Jersey coast and in other parts\u00a0of the Atlantic Ocean from Massachusetts to Virginia.\r\nThe action \"recognizes the unique marine environment in the Atlantic and fishing's critical role in the region's economy and culture,\" Obama said in a statement.\r\n\"Specifically, the withdrawal includes areas that support habitat important to commercial and recreational fisheries. The withdrawal does not impact ocean uses beyond mineral exploration and development,\" the president said.\u00a0\r\n...\r\nNew Jersey lawmakers, who\u00a0have urged Obama\u00a0to use his authority to prevent oil drilling in the Atlantic Ocean, applauded the action.\r\n\"The families and businesses who depend on a thriving Jersey Shore and clean Atlantic Ocean took an important step forward with the president's decision to permanently ban drilling in parts of the Atlantic,\" said U.S. Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.).\r\nBoth Menendez and Rep. Frank Pallone Jr. (D-6th Dist.) said Obama didn't go far enough and should ban oil drilling everywhere in the Atlantic.\r\nRead the full story...", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.menendez.senate.gov/news-and-events/in-the-news/obama-bans-oil-drilling-in-areas-off-nj-coast"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 2.309652976691723, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}