Liberal Democrats vow moratorium on offshore drilling to return in ’09
The Bear on Sep 29 2008 at 8:28 am | Filed under: Energy Policy
Liberal House Democrats on Wednesday vowed to get a new offshore drilling moratorium enacted early next year, a day after learning they’d lost this year’s battle over an issue that dominated congressional politics for most of the summer.
In a 370-58 vote, the House on Wednesday approved a continuing resolution (CR) to keep the government operating. The CR does not include a renewal of the ban on offshore drilling, which has been in place for over 20 years.
“We need to take this issue up again in the next Congress, and with a new administration,” said Rep. Lois Capps (D-Calif.).
Related
Drilling Forward
Energy: In a stunning defeat, congressional Democrats were forced to allow the quarter-century-old offshore drilling ban to expire. But the fight has only begun, with the struggle now shifting to state legislatures.
Funny how the Democrat-controlled Congress can’t get the things it wants enacted, can’t even get a single appropriations bill passed, yet minority Republicans this week succeeded in ending a supposedly sacrosanct ban on oil and gas offshore drilling that dates back to the early 1980s.
It was an unexpectedly powerful knockdown of Democrats and their enviro-extremist allies, but they are not yet counted out.
GOP Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina noted in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., the possibility that Democrats would “use environmental lawsuits to block exploration until they can reinstate these energy bans after the November elections.” DeMint warned Reid that it “would be a major mistake.”
So with the ban ending, what are the next moves toward reducing America’s dependence on oil from hostile regimes in places such as the Middle East, Russia and leftist Venezuela?
DeMint has introduced a bill to expedite drilling leases, ensure that states share in oil and gas revenues, and prevent frivolous litigation designed to delay exploration for and production of oil.
One Response to “Liberal Democrats vow moratorium on offshore drilling to return in ’09”
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The Dems gave in because they think they have the election sewn up. Once Obama gets in office, with a majority of Dems in the House and Senate, they will pass a bill that Republicans couldn’t undo if they DID take over all three branches in the very next election. I know, you say things can’t be undone, but you watch. We’ve never had a Republican majority (unless you just count R’s, not votes), but the oil companies won’t budge towards drilling or exploring unless they think their efforts won’t just be either nationalized or at least supported by the government in power.