Democrats To Offer Bill With Plan For More Offshore Drilling

WASHINGTON — Democrats' stance against offshore drilling has shifted more, with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi signaling on Saturday her willingness to consider opening up more coastal areas to oil and gas exploration.

In her party's weekly radio address, Pelosi said opening portions of the Outer Continental Shelf for drilling would be a part of energy legislation that House Democrats intend to put forward in the coming weeks to address oil dependence and high gasoline prices.

Lawmakers will be able to "consider opening portions of the Outer Continental Shelf for drilling, with appropriate safeguards, and without taxpayer subsidies to Big Oil," said Pelosi, D-Calif.

Just weeks ago Pelosi seemed resolved to block any votes to allow offshore drilling, in part because Californians have opposed drilling off their coasts since an oil spill off Santa Barbara in 1969. New oil drilling is only allowed now in federal waters in the western Gulf of Mexico and off Alaska.

Pelosi's radio remarks were the latest to hint that the energy debate in Congress is still evolving, and that Democrats are budging on the issue.

Congress left for the August recess deadlocked over how to address $4-a-gallon gasoline. Democratic proposals to tap the nation's petroleum reserve, curb oil speculation and force oil companies to drill on already leased federal lands were blocked by Republicans trying to force votes on offshore drilling.

Yet any vote on drilling is likely to force the Republicans' hand, since it will likely be packaged with unpopular proposals to tap the petroleum reserve and recoup unpaid royalties from the late 1990s to pay for renewable energy projects.

"This comprehensive Democratic approach will ensure energy independence which is essential to our national security, will create millions of good paying jobs here at home in a new green economy, and will take major steps forward in addressing the global climate crisis," said Pelosi, who criticized Republicans' "drill only" plan.

Republican leaders called Pelosi's proposal a ruse.

She "is deliberately misrepresenting the facts about our plan in order to shift attention away from the Democrats' shameful record," said House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio. "Her new effort appears to be just another flawed plan that will do little to lower gas prices." Boehner and more than 100 House Republicans refused to depart for the summer recess in protest of Democrats' refusal to have a vote on their proposals.

The pressure to expand offshore drilling intensified last month when President Bush lifted an executive prohibition on drilling for oil and gas on the Outer Continental Shelf. A congressional ban remains in place.

Polls have shown that voters have grown more supportive of more domestic oil production as fuel prices have climbed.

Comments

[LITU]

That d*mn continental shelf, where most marine life resides. Why should we care about them?

[LITU]

Ah, catering to the fickle voter.

[Sloopydrew]

This makes me sick. Get a backbone, Democrats. Offshore drilling is NOT the answer.

[UnbiasView]

Get some reality, oil is most proven form of energy we have.

[turtle bay]

Spineless

San Fran: VOTE SHEEHAN

[wdw101]

why vote for another liberal to replace a liberal.......

[LITU]

Because it would be a neutral vote, as opposed to a vote for a conservative, which would be a vote backwards.

[wdw101]

bush just sent the wrong sheehan....cindy would have made a better target...

[philinmedford]

She must of went to realclearpolitics and read the latest polls showing a virtual tie re: the POTUS vote.

Someday voters will figure out that there are not two parties, there is one.

Corporate.

[Lizaveta]

I understand compromise, but this is absurd. This is not a small concession. It is further proof that we live in a corporate oligarchy. Offshore drilling will not help us become energy independent. It will simply make more money for big oil. The polls on this issue reflect that Americans truly are uninformed just as they were about Iraq. There needs to be a war on ignorance.

[steamboat]

Its called "FLIP-FLOP", "SELL-OUT", and what do the "POLLS SAY".

[Lizaveta]

I think that is pretty much what I wrote.

[wdw101]

"There needs to be a war on ignorance." there is a war on ignorance already the problem is that it is run by a union.........teacher should not be a union.........stay focused on your job and teach.....

[crablover]

So let's eliminate all unions. That way America can return to "the good old days," of the robber barons who exploited workers (including children) in unsafe workplaces and sweatshops, six-day work weeks, no health or pension benefits, etc.

Oh wait...we've already done that?

Never mind.

[Curbrunner]

.

Lizaveta is right.
Also, what's been completely overlooked is that oil companies ARE NOT OBLIGATED TO SELL ANY OFFSHORE OIL TO AMERICANS. They can sell it to the rest of the world and most likely will.
.

[Elderlady]

Pelosi read the polls. Pelosi figured out which way the political wind was blowing. Pelosi made a decision. We'll see how it plays.

[UltraClassic]

Every once in a while, a liberal shows either (a) an ounce of reason, or (b) a will to survive. I predict that after the clock cleaning that Obama went through last night, we may see some "adjustments" on his positions also.

[Lizaveta]

McCain was a shameless, doddering, flag waving, angry old man. Obama was sincere and thoughtful. End of story.

[LITU]

The difference between your survival logic and mine is that mine includes others, while yours (and your ilk) is singular.

BTW, O' Reasonable One, your self-serving unfettered free market approach to globalization has proven to be a disaster.

[OgreDaddy]

Anyone with half a brain knows that Big Oil has capped off numerous proven oil reserves, deliberately
to limit supply and artificially prop up prices.

They do not need to drill, they need to REFINE what they already have in proven reserves.

The well informed also know that any American oil will be sold on the international commodities
market.

The Republicans in Congress are up to their usual culture of deception and double speak
attempting to mislead the hopelessly ignorant into believing that American Oil will only be sold to Americans here at home. Nothing could be further from the truth.

It all works the same way DeBeers limits how many diamonds go to market.
Your sweetie's big rock would be worthless if Russian Diamonds and Myanmar Rubies and Emeralds were allowed to sell on the open market.

All you here is drill drill drill, when all they really want is to add more reserves to their investor
portfolios.

YES, the American People DO want Big Oil to PRODUCE and REFINE more American oil, but
that is not what Big Oil intends to do at all. Not even close.
We still need fossil fuels for transportation, but certainly not for overall energy needs.

If you are paying attention, you'll see how carefully they are selecting their talking points.

We would hardly need fossil fuels at all IF.... Big Oil was not lobbying to prevent the use
of alcohol based fuels and flex fuel vehicles.

[TimmySlagle]

"Anyone with half a brain knows that Big Oil has capped off numerous proven oil reserves, deliberately to limit supply and artificially prop up prices."

Well those of us with Full Brains, know that you're just talking nonsense.

I'd love to see you back up that claim with a link.

[UltraClassic]

Note to Orgy Daddy. When you and other liberals and leftist democrats refer to any company, corporation or other business entity as "Big" this and "Big" that, you quickly get an eye roll from anyone who follows markets and companies with any depth. You and other's need to do yourself a favor and drop the "Big" thing. It just shows that you have nothing to add to the debate.

BTW, as long as you are talking "Big" this and "Big" that, let's talk about how economies of scale help you enjoy the products that you have today, many of which were not even available a few years ago. And yes, we need more crude and we are going to get it, with you or with out you. So fire up your Vespa and get with the program

[wdw101]

well said

[stevietheman]

The bottom line is that domestic oil companies do not want to see oil prices drop significantly -- that would kill their profits -- therefore, they don't want to do more domestic drilling, no matter their current access to wide expanses of federal land and offshore zones, or their potential access to more offshore locations.

This is all a game by the Republicans.

The key to the game is Boehner's comment that Democrats, only in charge of Congress for one term, have somehow caused all this mess, when Republicans owned Congress for the previous six.

[herrick]

Hmmm ...Let me see ...offshore drilling will provide us how much oil? how soon? for how long? ...a single massive spill will destroy part of California's tourist-oriented economy and real estate values how soon? for how long? ...Perhaps politicians should be required to visit Prince William Sound, Alaska. And perhaps, also, they should be reminded that California's economy - if it were an independent country - would be the tenth largest in the world ...and puts more money into our national economy than does the potential for temporary oil savings sometime in the future. What makes more sense is an actual energy policy ...wind, solar & geothermal to start. These are growth industries that can provide jobs. By leading the way in renewable energy, the United States could not only see positive economic impact, but also increase our national security.

[TimmySlagle]

"a single massive spill will destroy part of California's tourist-oriented economy and real estate values how soon? for how long?"

Not long at all. Most of California's tourism and Real Estate industries didn't even notice the spill. And that was forty years ago. Comparing the drilling technology from 1969 to now, is like comparing an adding machine or a typewriter to a laptop.

Meanwhile, oil prices have dropped 23% since the President lifted the moratorium on offshore drilling. If Congress signed on, you'd see oil back at 70 bucks a barrel by Labor Day.

[LeftCoaster64]

Friend oil prices are dropping because we are using LESS oil now. Supply and demand at work. Nobody cares what Bush says. He couldn't get his Saudi buddies to listen to him, you think the oil markets will? Get a clue.

[wdw101]

well said

[All57States]

i guess she just threw the planet she is trying to same under the bus.

[NTO08]

Pelousy let the polls decide the future of the Earth...nice.

[Guynemer]

A million years from now it'll be as if mankind never existed regardless of our oil consumption. Planet Earth will do just fine, just as she has with her billion year history premeated with massive solar radiation storms, meteor strikes, mega earthquakes and continent consuming caldera eruptions. Rest assure, all the populations of Earth will have fossil fuel based economies 50 years from now regardless of the misguided efforts of those that think otherwise.

[mgloraine]

Big Oil finally found Pelosi's price. Now that she and Harry Reid have been properly paid off, the land-grab will commence, regardless of all of the well-documented reasons that it should not. It was a really bad idea last week, but there's nothing like a hefty "campaign contribution" (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) to make our legislators look at the situation from a fresh perspective.

Congress For Sale! Buy your Congressional votes today, while the Decider still permits us to have a Congress! Of course, once martial law is declared, all bets are off...

[Guynemer]

The price probably had more to do with the fact that more than 70% of voters support additional OCS drilling, rather than a corporate pay-off.

Think?

[957]

Oh my god its the end of the world..we might drill for oil there goes the ego system the coast line clean air and everything in between and it won't help anyway that is if you listen to most of huff post people they think we should just do nothing because doing something might actually help then they wouldn't have a reason to be depressed.

[zendem1]

Oh my. There's an idiot wind..

[Beowolf741]

Drill on the land and sea that the oil companies already have permits for. What an idea.

[crablover]

The oil companies won't be satisfied until they pump every last drop out the planet.
Read "The Prize" by Daniel Yergin and learn the history of the industry.

I'm glad to see gas prices drop (from $3.89 to $3.41 in my area), but it was the law of supply and demand that caused it, not the threat of offshore drilling. I'm going to continue curbing my driving as much as possible and do whatever is necessary to improve my gas mileage (including checking my tire pressure).

We need to end our addiction to oil ASAP and push for the development and marketing of alternative energy sources. Until we do, we'll continue to be oil junkies, subject to the whims of our pushers.

[NatteringNabob]

Drilling threatens the ego system? Thanks for the heads-up!

[UltraClassic]

957. Dude, so true. Huff-O-Matics tend to fight simply for the fight. They use bogus numbers based on worn out talking points and have stuck to this "10 year production rule" as if Moses carried it down from the mount himself. Note to Huff-O-Matics, you have no idea how fast crude can be pumped, transported and refined when a nation needs it.

It's a fight for the sake of a fight, increased domestic drilling is. But they have lost the fight before they started, they are on the wrong side of this and they know it. This is why you will begin to see the "adjustments" in policy.

[Pepper14]

Dems always have to change their stance because of the voters. Liberal dems are wrong on most issues so they have to backtrack. This tells me that the dems must have gotten a ear full when they went back home. Pelosi doesn't have to worry about her house seat but she was putting a lot of others dems at risk. Just because you are in the majority doesn't mean you can do anything you want if polls are showing that the voters want something different. It is a lot harder to lose a senate seat but it is very easy to lose house seats because you have to run for re-election every two years.

[springsm]

ha ha...some people are so arrogant in their ignorance. Dumb and uneducated might even fit. NO personal growth. Pelosi has given the pigs everything they have wanted. So chuck it.