Former Gov. Jim Gilmore, a candidate for the Virginia U.S. Senate seat being vacated by Sen. John Warner, issued a statement Tuesday commending Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain for favoring the lifting of the federal offshore drilling ban:

“As working families across the Commonwealth of Virginia and across our country face financial hardship due to soaring gasoline prices, I commend Sen. John McCain for speaking out on the need to decisively begin to decrease our dependence on foreign oil and increase American oil production. As President and U.S. Senator respectively, we will work together to lift the federal ban on offshore drilling that has kept us from tapping into this vast resource of American oil.

“Drill here, drill now, and pay less. This is our path to quickly reduce our dependence on foreign oil and lower prices.

“We are a nation of almost 200 million automobiles, and although conservation and alternative energy sources such as wind and solar should be part of a comprehensive plan, we must find immediate solutions that will allow us to increase production of American oil. Increased exploration and drilling for gas and oil off our coasts would make a dramatic difference in the price of gas and the price of everything else that is being driven upward by skyrocketing energy costs, from a gallon of milk to the food on our dinner table.

“We currently only explore about 15 percent of our nation’s coastline for oil and gas. Recent studies estimate that about 86 billion barrels of untapped oil exist in federally restricted areas, Virginia’s coastline being one of them. Yet, when Mark Warner was governor of Virginia, he vetoed legislation in support of lifting the federal moratorium on offshore drilling.

“The issue of energy independence is becoming more and more pressing as its effect on our economy and national security increases. Now is the time to take action. We can no longer allow America’s working people to financially struggle to purchase an indispensable commodity from foreign enemies such as Iran and Venezuela when our own country has vast untapped amounts of it as well.”