NEW ORLEANS - House Majority Whip Steve Scalise is taking a batch of congressmen on a tour of the Gulf of Mexico's offshore oil and gas industry.

Scalise, a Republican from Louisiana, has led energy tours for his peers since he became a House member in 2008. On Friday, he's showing off the industry to seven other congressmen - five Republicans and two Democrat.

The politicians will visit an oil production platform in the Gulf of Mexico, meet and talk with industry leaders and tour Port Fourchon, an important oil and gas hub that services the offshore industry.

Scalise will be joined by Reps. Jeff Duncan, R-South Carolina, Jody Hice, R-Georgia, Bill Johnson, R-Ohio, Dan Newhouse, R-Washington, Tom Reed, R-New York, Marc Veasey, D-Texas and Gene Green, D-Texas.