Udall on Mubarak: ‘As Egyptians celebrate … we celebrate this moment with them’

Colorado Sen. Mark Udall, who Thursday urged American politicians to stay united on the issue of the ongoing popular uprising in Egypt, today issued a statement on Hosni Mubarak stepping down as president after 30 years of dictatorial rule.

“President Mubarak has finally heard the voices of the Egyptian people and relinquished his 30-year hold on power, after 18 days of peaceful protests,” Udall said. “As Egyptians celebrate their freedom tonight, we celebrate this moment with them.

“It’s important that the military continue to act as a stabilizing force throughout this transition. As a member of the Senate Armed Services and Intelligence committees, I believe we need to do everything we can to continue to support Egypt’s peaceful move toward democracy.”

Mubarak reportedly turned over control of the government to the Egyptian military, which is heavily underwritten by more than $1 billion a year in U.S. funding. Thursday on MSNBC with Chris Matthews, Udall said American political debate over that funding and the type of government that will now take over needs to be kept on this side of the Atlantic.

Other Colorado politicians, including U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn, have pointed to instability in the region as a wakeup call that America needs to produce more energy domestically.

“With the recent turmoil in Egypt, speculation has ensued over the possible shutdown of the Suez Canal which ferries through about 1.8 million barrels of oil every day. Events of recent days underscore our need to reduce our dependence on foreign oil so our economy is not dependent on volatile foreign issues,” Lamborn said in a prepared statement. “America needs American-made energy.”

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