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

[kfdan]

"House Speaker Nancy Pelosi signaling on Saturday her willingness to consider opening up more coastal areas to oil and gas exploratio­n."

Pelosi and the rest of the corporate raiders in the Democratic Party need to be removed from their positions ... pronto! They are an embarrassment to the Democratic rank and file as well as those with good judgement about the future of our environment. Costal oil will do nothing to knock a dent in oil output. It's just a plan to give more money to oil companies!!!

[emstrem]

Just goes to show they'll do anything for votes. They can and usually will be bought :)

[SILVANUS]

Both parties are tools of corporate America, that will do as they are told.

[Hirnlego]

Why are the republicans complaining? They had many years to change the off shore drilling but did nothing.

Oh yeah, the president would use his superb personality to ask OPEC to open the tap.

[Pepper14]

If you paid attention they did try to do something but the dems always stopped it. In the senate they always filbusterd the engery bill.

[aubrey8]

Energy policy was established behind closed doors by Dick Cheney 8 years ago and it's going just the way he planned it baby.

Screw the people let's take their money, that's what it's all about.

[zendem1]

Uh huh. They dang "shore" did. Now go back to the trailer Larry.

[bluzz]

The repugs blocked a vote in the Senate three weeks ago that would have forced the Oil Co. to drill the existing Oil leases that they are not drilling - 80% are not being drilled...­.if they cared about Americans more then the Oil co. that would have been a great time to demonstrate it.....How­ever the sided with the Oil Co.......w­hich is what this whole Off-shore thing is about.....­.the Oil co. taking advantage of a crisis.
I don' expect you to know about the Repugs blocking that legislation (or the other hundred filibuster and procedure blocks) because Faux news doesn't report about news that contradicts your biased world view

[army193]

I will wait to see the bill....le­ts see if there is language that oil companies that have failed to drill on leases land they had for years is lost. Remove the tax breaks we had given them etc.

[DrDemon]

More offshore drilling:

-------- > A Facade !

[Rendon76]

This is nothing more than another profit opportunity for the oil men. Off-shore drilling would be a drop in the bucket for our needs and a fatter wallet for big oil.

[CC1]

No surprise here. Both parties are tools of corporate America, that will do as they are told.

[Woggles]

Does anybody else notice how Democrats are usually on the defensive, even though they are in the majority?

[DrDemon]

Yup !

[aubrey8]

Ever notice how Republicans like to turn their problems into your problems..­..

We've just 8 of the worst years in the history of the country, gas prices have quadrupled since 1999 and Republicans can't do anything but blame someone for the problems they created.

[Ceruleanblue1]

What is enough for these oil companies? They have all the oil fields handed to them in Iraq while we pay all the bills. They have 68,000,000 acres of untapped land in the US. Yet, give us more, more , more! Is there no end to their greed? Will the Democrats ever have the backbone to stand up? It appears not.

[DrDemon]

"Democrats stand up"?'

YahhhhhRii­gggggggghh­t....... Not happening!

[plainsman]

Why can't both parties fold on something meaningful­...like Marijuana decriminalization or legalization? It could save (War on Drugs) enough money or collect (taxes or growing permits) enough money to give everyone rebates to cover the rising cost of energy. Really, WTH Dems.

[Bettysdad]

One little detail to include in any drilling plan:

The driller must post $1 billion bond to cover any accidental spill.

The bond will be so expensive due to the expected disasters, drilling would be impossible.

The free market at work.

[msmaggie]

One billion to Exxon is like the change I find in my couch to me.

[ExRepublican]

"P'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."

Notice the word 'evolving'. Get used to it. You'll hear that over and over.

'Budging', I'm already used to that one.

Good article on drilling:
http://www.eia.doe.gov/oiaf/aeo/otheranalysis/ongr.html

[MisterCole]

And why would the oil companies want to drill now when they are making record profits? Do they want to lower the price out of the kindness and generosity of their own hearts?

[pbfishtaco]

Nine Percent Approval Rating----­-Priceless­!!

Something Liberals and Conservatives can agree on!!