Posted on 09/16/2008 10:37:16 AM PDT by markomalley
The House introduced new energy legislation late last night. Finally…right? The House also wants to bring the 290-page bill, which can be found here, to the floor today. You think the 435 Members in the House of Representatives are going to meticulously read all 290 pages? A bill that makes fundamental changes to thousands of pages of earlier energy bills as well as the tax code. Please.
This isn’t Harry Potter. You can’t just cruise through something as complex as energy policy in one short night. It’s true that Congress should craft an energy policy as expeditiously as possible to lower the costs of energy, but don’t you think there’s a reason that House Democrats are rushing the process?
We can’t be that hasty. Just because the bill mentions drilling doesn’t mean it’s a good bill. The “compromise” bill would set a permanent ban on drilling within 50 miles of the coast while allowing states to decide whether they want to drill or not between 50 and 100 miles. But thanks to the Institute for Energy Research, let’s check out where the oil actually is. The bill would:
• Permanently ban access to 97% of the 10.5 billion barrels off the California coast. Then, California gets to decide whether to produce just 3% of its resources.
• Continue the ban on the Eastern Gulf of Mexico, an area with an estimated 3.65 barrels of oil and 22 trillion cubic feet of natural gas
• Institute a first-ever 50 mile ban off the coast of Alaska.
Check out these charts from IER; they illustrate the point nicely. And don’t forget, this is on top of new tax credits and government subsidies for unproven and unsuccessful renewable energy sources.
We’re just about two weeks away from celebrating Energy Freedom Day, where the Congressional moratorium on offshore drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf would expire – giving us access to 18 or 19 billion barrels of oil. Pelosi’s bill would give us access to 4 billion while placing almost all of the rest permanently off limits.
Maybe the Members should stick with reading Harry Potter; at least that’s something worth reading.
This bill is a sham! I pray it’s not passed. It would be a huge setback in our quest towards energy independence.
And this morning the sun rose in the east.
I just dont get it, does these idiots really think that we would allow something as restrictive as that bill to pass?? I think not, next they will be SHOUTING how oil prices have come down because of their work ( YEA RIGHT )
Everyone should be contacting their congressperson immediately and tell him/her to not vote for this until the details can be summarized for the public and support built pro or con. What is described here sounds bad but we all need to know the details before our futures are decided.
The bill places PERMANENT bans on well over 90% of the recoverable oil. Yea, Pelosi will “allow” drilling. But only where there isn’t any oil.
I called Ike Skelton (D) MO. They said he was down for his nap right now...
PERMANENT ? Congress can’t say permanent anything. Another bill can overturn such a restriction. Just Socialists determined to ruin this country’s economy.
Not everyone in the House is asleep. I called my representative, and he is against the Pelosi bill.
I hope more FReepers will call their representatives.
T. Boone Pickens must be popular in DC.
Pass this link on to all your friends.......
http://www.capwiz.com/freedomworks/issues/alert/?alertid=11543371
Stop the Pelosi Anti-Energy Package!
With gas prices topping $4.00 per gallon across the country, the time for debate has come to an end. But the Nancy Pelosi liberals are pushing an anti-energy agenda that would do nothing to increase our domestic supply of oil and gas.
http://www.capwiz.com/freedomworks/issues/alert/?alertid=11543371
All of that puts the U.S. in a position that war for oil or
complete economic collapse will be our only choices.
You can't frustrate every source of domestic energy
without consequences. Our enemies will blackmail us
to the extent that we are vulnerable to blackmail.
The Democrats are leading us into a real war for oil.
A war we won't have the energy to fight.
Actually, Pelosi is the sham. The bill would be aptly named “son of sham”.
PELOSI TURNS DEAF EAR TO THE AMERICAN PEOPLE’S CRY FOR MORE ENERGY
Washington, DC – House Conference Secretary John Carter (TX-31) today condemned Democratic leaders for refusing to allow an open and honest debate on their latest “no energy” energy bill scheduled for a vote on the House floor today.
“Today Speaker Pelosi will send a strong message to the American people by not allowing a vote on an ‘all of the above’ energy bill. She has made it very clear that the only energy bill this House will vote on is one created behind closed doors, in the dead of night and on her terms alone. Neither Republicans nor Democrats will have an opportunity to state their opposition by offering amendments that would allow for development of American oil. The Speaker will not allow a vote on any type of additional oil development anywhere in the United States because she knows it would pass overwhelmingly.
“The ‘no energy’ energy bill would once again deny Americans a comprehensive energy package that would lower prices at the pump. This Democratic bill would permanently lock away 88 percent of American oil on the Outer Continental Shelf. Additionally, it would ban American energy exploration on Alaska’s North Slope and in the western mountains. It excludes any efforts to produce nuclear and clean coal-to-liquids technology. This is not the energy bill the American people are begging for.
“While Speaker Pelosi will say this bill is a vote for drilling, this is far from the truth. It would block states from sharing in the multi-trillion dollar tax revenues that come from agreeing to drill offshore. In other words, Speaker Pelosi is intentionally leaving revenue-sharing out of the bill because she knows no state would go through the trouble to increase offshore production when they know they would be hit by billion-dollar environmental lawsuits.
“Americans have consistently cried out for American energy exploration to lower gas prices and free us from our dependency on foreign oil. Unfortunately, the voice of the American people has fallen on the Speaker’s deaf ear. Today, the only voice that will be heard is that of Speaker Pelosi.”
Great bit of subterfuge; declare you have given in to the other side, when what you are actually doing is supporting what you had previously agreed to support. Now when Republicans oppose the plan, they can be portrayed as obstructionist.
The bill is probably a bargaining gambit. You know, the Dems say “ok,OK, “ and decide to remove the new 50-mile ban concept in Alaska in exchange for the Republicans caving. It’s happened before.
Norm Coleman’s reply to me today:
Dear Wobbly Bob:
Thank you for contacting me regarding the Gang of 16 energy proposal. I appreciate having the benefit of your views, and I share your frustration that Congress has yet to open up the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) to oil and natural gas development.
The $4 a gallon gas crisis we have experienced this summer will soon be accompanied by double digit percent increases in natural gas prices. Nothing is more urgent or of greater significance to the American people than solving our energy crisis, yet with fall around the corner, the problem is about to get worse, not better. The most effective way to lower prices is to increase supply, while we lower demand - it is basic economics.
On the supply side, America possesses remarkable domestic oil and natural gas resources, but unfortunately, much of it is off limits. Just consider that we currently have 85 percent of offshore acreage off-limits (in the lower 48 states) to development. If we developed the entire Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), we could see an additional 86 billion barrels of oil and 420 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.
I have been frustrated by the fact that instead of passing a comprehensive energy bill with real solutions for this energy crisis, with meaningful action to increase our oil and gas supply, the Senate Majority Leader brought a bill to the floor this summer that would not do anything to address the supply and demand of energy in the United States. To make matters worse, the legislative process was set up to prevent consideration of almost 100 energy amendments from both sides of the aisle.
Two of those amendments were ones that I filed. These amendments built on the Energy Resource and Development Act (S. 3126) I introduced earlier in the summer, which would have opened access to the OCS and used federal proceeds to fund renewable energy and energy efficiency programs, as well as boost coal-to-liquid fuels and nuclear energy. Before leaving for August, after being blocked from having a vote on amendments, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell tried to bring up one of my amendments. The amendment would have permitted access to the OCS and promoted battery technology for plug-in-hybrid vehicles, yet the Democratic Leadership continued to object.
It was made clear to me during that process that passage of an energy bill will not occur without a bipartisan accord among likeminded Senators that forces the hand of Senate leadership. Accordingly, I recently joined the bipartisan Gang of 16 in their energy proposal, which does open up new development in the OCS of the coasts of five key states. There is an old saying about not letting the perfect be the enemy of the good - I strongly believe that it is more important to pass an energy bill that, while not perfect, opens up a good share of the OCS, than work for an ideal energy package that will never pass. Please know that my joining the Gang of 16 in no way suggests that I would oppose measures that go beyond this proposal, but it is a recognition that only a bipartisan proposal stands any chance of bringing real relief to the American people right now.
Again, thank you for contacting me. If I can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to let me know.
Sincerely,
Norm Coleman
United States Senate
One possibility is that Repubs will block all this “comprehensive” BS in the senate, or Bush will veto, and the offshore ban will expire in October. In that case the Dems would hope that Obama wins so they can try again next year.
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