Posted on 06/06/2006 1:22:23 PM PDT by Ben Mugged
U.S. lawmakers are growing increasingly concerned as Cuba grants licensing agreements to energy-hungry economies such as China and India to allow drilling in its waters off the coast of Florida.
Members from both parties have proposed separate legislation that would either allow U.S. oil companies to compete with foreign entities to drill in Cuban coastal waters or block Havana from pursuing any oil production exploration in order to prevent ecological damage that could disrupt Florida`s $50 billion tourism industry.
Amid a growing call to reduce U.S. foreign dependence on oil, the predicament facing Congress is whether or not to allow U.S. companies to bypass a 45-year-old trade embargo in order to pursue oil excavation in Cuban waters or tap into offshore U.S. oil resources in the Florida Straits and the eastern Gulf of Mexico.
U.S. lawmakers who support circumventing the embargo argue that at a time of growing demand and rising oil prices, domestic oil companies must be allowed to compete against countries like China or India, which have driven crude prices to above $70 a barrel. Otherwise, they say, the United States will be handing over crucial energy resources only 50 miles off the U.S. coastline to competing energy markets.
'Red China should not be left to drill for oil within spitting distance of our shores without competition from U.S. industries,' Sen. Larry Craig, R-Idaho, said earlier this year. 'Not only is this a supply and energy security issue for us, it is an environmental issue. We can`t let China conspire to lock up a potentially lucrative oil supply.'
(Excerpt) Read more at news.monstersandcritics.com ...
According to estimates by the U.S. Geological Survey, overseen by the U.S. Department of Interior, there is anywhere between 1 million to 9.3 million barrels of undiscovered oil and between 1.9 trillion and 22 trillion cubic feet of undiscovered natural gas in the North Cuban Basin.
Critics contend, however, that extracting oil and gas resources from Cuban waters will do little to alleviate the growing energy demand in the United States.
Craig and Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., have proposed legislation that would allow U.S. companies to participate in the exploration and extraction of hydrocarbon resources, and allow them to travel to Cuba without the mandated licenses.
That's the story of the USA and oil. Always a bridesmaid, never a bride.
There's no need to agonize. Just take off the handcuffs and let our people go (a-drilling, that is).
Apparently nobody in government believes that Flordia's coveted tourism industry is threatened by the price of fuel?
Did the 2X4 of reality smack some of our senators up side the head??? Or am I hoping for too much?
Rather than do it ourselves, we'll be all too happy to let China and India drill in the Gulf and sell the oil back to us. (It's who we are.)
"Looks like the Senator done changed his position on offshore drillin'"
The idea of China drilling anywhere near our shores disturbs me for several reasons. China itself is an ecological disaster -- why would we allow a potential oil spill by China when we won't drill near Florida ourselves? Cuba is still under embargo -- why would we allow China to benefit Cuba by drilling in those waters?
Maybe we should let China drill in ANWAR too???
Good God. That has to be the comment of the day.
Huh? Since Cuba is 90 miles from Florida, the half way point and boundary between areas of economic control would be 45 miles from Florida at their closest point. If the Cuban drilling in that strait, they would be 5 miles inside their territory.
I'm no fan of the Cubans, but this reminds me of people getting worked up when they found out that the Soviet Union had somehow sneaked to within 3 miles of the US and what a threat that was, forgetting that's how far apart a US island was from a Russian island ever since the Russians sold us Alaska.
Wake up California coast...your next. And then 12 miles off ANWR
And then I'm sure the libs will try to sell them access to drill in our western states.
It makes no sense, so we should expect it.
The vermin and scum that comprise the Democrat Party, and have prevented drilling of oil offshore and in Alaska, in what is clearly a supply and demand situation, is helping to destroy America. Castro is giving precious drilling rights to our enemies, and we stand idly by becasue of Democrat blockage. Any American voter that votes Democrat is certifably insane. This is a political party that should have its heart ripped out by the voting public and be destroyed forever!!! First in destruction of the USA economy, first in aiding and abetting the enemy, first in hating America, first in hating God and religion, The Democrat Party . Americans are nuts!!! Go figure!!!
People who have the visual acuity to see an oil rig 45 miles off the Coast (esp. from Orlando) would be horribly offended, and might even sue. We can't let the evil SUV drivers offend them.
That way, Americans won't get blamed for the mess.
The unfortunate part is that whatever mess the Chinese make, the enviros and other special interests willuse as a reason Americans still can't drill on our own continental shelf.
Either way the American oil companies and Americans get shafted again.
If it wasn't that all the tree huggers were screeming Castro lovers we could sic them on Cuba and China.
Congress has all the leadership of Napoleon Dynamite.
"Critics contend, however, that extracting oil and gas resources from Cuban waters will do little to alleviate the growing energy demand..."
Those critics could add:
hybrid cars
photovoltaics
wind generators
biodiesel
push mowers
Nope. Not with both Martinez and Nelson voting consistently against allowing any off-shore drilling, not only of LF coast but anywhere. Meanwhile, Canada is drilling like crazy of New Foundland's coast. And now Cuba will be doing it off FL coast, too!
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