Louisiana Republican David Vitter is supporting a decision by fellow Louisiana Sen. Mary Landrieu to block the Senate confirmation of a top White House official until the administration takes action on its deepwater drilling moratorium.

Vitter said he supports his Democratic colleague's move to block the Senate confirmation of Jack Lew as director of the White House Office of Management and Budget until the drilling moratorium is lifted or "significantly modified."

"I support the hold on Jack Lew until the administration understands the pain its moratorium is causing folks along the Gulf Coast," Vitter said in a statement.

Prior to Landrieu's hold last week, Lew's nomination had otherwise drawn little opposition in the Senate. Democratic leaders have said they want a floor vote on the nomination before the Senate breaks for recess, which is most likely to happen at the end of this week.

Lew's nomination was unanimously approved last week by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and passed by a vote of 22-1 out of the Budget Committee. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) was the only lawmaker to vote against the confirmation in committee. Sanders had criticized Lew for working at Citigroup and downplaying the role of deregulation in the financial crisis.

As head of OMB -- a position he held during the Clinton administration -- Lew would play a key role in setting and explaining administration economic policies.

Critics of the Obama administration's drilling ban imposed this summer in the wake of the BP PLC spill say it is an overreaction to the oil rig explosion that caused the spill and argue it is as economically damaging as the accident itself.

A federal judge overturned the administration's original moratorium in June, but the Interior Department quickly imposed a new ban, which remains in effect.

Landrieu said last week that while Lew "clearly possesses the expertise necessary to serve as one of the president's most important advisers, I found that he lacked sufficient concern for the host of economic challenges confronting the Gulf Coast."

Vitter last year blocked Senate confirmation of Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Craig Fugate over concerns about the agency's hurricane-recovery policies and projects.

"Unfortunately, sometimes holds are needed to get this administration to focus, much as my hold on FEMA nominee Craig Fugate forced a resolution to the flood zone issue," Vitter said.