Democrats’ Transparently Phony Drilling Bill Comes To A Vote This Week

The Patriot Room ^ | September 14, 2008 | Bill Dupray

[Bill Dupray]

Fire up the smoke machines and break out the mirrors. The Democrats are about to pretend they support offshore drilling. From The Washington Post.

Congressional Democrats, balancing political reality against a policy they have long opposed, are on the cusp of approving legislation that would open the Atlantic and Pacific oceans to oil drilling as close as 50 miles offshore.

Keep in mind that the current ban is on any drilling within 200 miles of the coast. If I am not mistaken, international waters begin 12 nautical miles off the coast. So Cuba and China can drill, at say 20 miles from our coast, but we cannot drill for 200 miles off the same coast.

Anyway, here is Pelosi's plan.

Pelosi took the first formal step Wednesday by unveiling a proposal that would open the Atlantic and Pacific coasts to drilling at least 100 miles offshore. If governors and state legislatures agree, drilling off each state's coast would be allowed 50 miles from shore.

Pelosi had previously suggested opening only portions of the southeastern Atlantic coast and some of the eastern Gulf of Mexico to drilling, but ultimately offered to allow drilling off both coastlines. The eastern gulf off Florida's west coast would remain off-limits.

Under the Pelosi bill, scheduled for a vote Tuesday, the federal government would not share royalties with the states, devoting the money instead toward federal funding for renewable energy resources. Taxes on oil companies would be increased, with that revenue also going to alternative energy sources.

So Pelosi, on the east and west coasts only, will pull back the 200 mile limit to 100 miles, and to 50 miles if the governors of the affected states agree. So would any drilling actually get done under that proposal?

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Poison Pill.

[InterceptPoint]

"Poison Pill."

Yes indeedy - it is a poison pill.

The question is, will the Republicans swallow it or stand on principle, vote NO on this piece of garbage and let the government shut down if that's what it takes to end the offshore drilling ban?

[CMailBag]

I could be wrong, but doesn’t the “ban” expire at the end of the month???

[Bill Dupray]

It expires unless action is taken to extend it. Failing that, Bush can Drill Here, Drill Then. The GOP is all over this.

[InterceptPoint]

"I could be wrong, but doesn’t the “ban” expire at the end of the month???"

Yes it does but I assume that the Dems will add the necessary language into some big "keep the government going" funding bill and dare the Republicans to vote against it or for Bush to veto it. That may be coming and I think we will win. If Pelosi decides to push this she is taking a big risk for her party. OTOH I'm sure the Obama team is going to get a vote on the subject, probably a deciding vote. Obama will certainly support the poison-pill bill with all those goodies for the greenies. The Republicans need to take a stand and vote against it even if the Dems get together and vote for it, which is likely. Ditto in the Senate. The Dems may have the votes, particularly when you add in the RINO vote. So the poison-pill bill may indeed end up on Bush's desk. And he had better veto it and give a speech to the nation explaining why.

So time will tell but I hope the Dems take the bait and try to convince the public that it is the Republicans who are shutting down the government and the Dems who are voting for off-shore drilling. That would be a hoot.

[SAJ]

You are not wrong, and it does expire at midnight September 30th.

This is Bela Pelosi's attempt to reestablish it. As written, there will be virtually no increase in crude/natgas production on the OCS. Dingy Harry Reid's version is even worse.

They are trying to set things up so that, if the OCS drilling ban is NOT renewed, the goobermint will be shut down for lack of funding. There are probably enough spineless 'Pubbies to get to 50.1% in both houses, so we are, once again, dependent upon Bush to veto whatever atrocity comes out of the House/Senate compromise committee.

''Shut it down, see if anyone notices.'' -- Ronald Reagan

[RightOnTheLeftCoast]

"If governors and state legislatures agree..."

An all-too-If governors and state legislatures agreerare DemocRat concession to states' rights. This seems to be the only good thing in the bill.

[Pearls Before Swine]

In addition to the international foolishness of the 12-mile limit, there’s the fact that going out 100 miles takes out most of the continental shelf, making many possible American drilling sites in expensive deep water.

[Delacon]

The Senate has a plan that would not allow any drilling in the Pacific, limit Atlantic drilling to Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, but would allow drilling off Florida’s west coast.

So the Democrats’ plan allows no drilling in the Pacific, no drilling in the Atlantic due to a lack of revenue sharing with the states, and no drilling off Florida.

That is not an offshore billing proposal. It is a bunch of 9% approval-rating buffoons thinking they can fool us that they are doing something to fight the energy crunch.

Yep.