Posted on 06/12/2008 2:14:02 PM PDT by Sub-Driver
House Republicans vow push on oil drilling Thu Jun 12, 2008 3:57pm EDT
By Donna Smith
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congressional Republicans vowed on Thursday to make a major push for more U.S. oil and gas drilling and in the process force Democrats to cast difficult votes at a time of skyrocketing gasoline prices.
With the November congressional and presidential elections looming, Republicans and Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives are blaming each other for rising energy costs and gasoline prices that are topping $4 a gallon.
Republicans cited Democratic opposition to opening up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and more offshore areas to oil and gas exploration and drilling.
House Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio said Republicans would try to raise public awareness and force more votes on the issue. He said Republicans would back a comprehensive approach of more oil and gas drilling as well as energy conservation and moves toward alternative fuels supported by Democrats.
"Over the next five months, House Republicans will fight every single day to hold Democrats accountable for their dismal record on producing more energy in our country," Boehner told reporters.
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
To Nancy Pelosi, who two years ago said she would bring down the price of gasoline, I say YES WE CAN drill our way out of this. You are a disgrace and your arguments completely full of lies. If you have your way, we’ll be riding bicycles to work. Truckers, unite. The Dems are NOT your friends. At $5 a gallon for diesel, you should be making your trip to Washington in your rigs and blow your horns for immediate action.
Not going to do much good when the top of the ticket is still stuck on stupid.
even a sign that these rat bastards will allow drilling would help out the market. They are blaming speculators, well crap, if there is more oil beinbg pumped in the future, the price will go down. I canot stand these traitorous SOB’s in congress.
But we can depend on technology that doesn't exist?
Excuse me, but if one looks at the graph of oil consumed per year and compares that with oil produced every year, surprise, goooleee (!!) like magic the supply-demand relationship of the free market works every time. Production and consumption roughly track over time.
Is there any substance or refute to the Dems’ charge that oil companies are actually sitting on millions of acres of explorable land?
Is there any there there?
Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., dismissed the need for oil explanation, speaking with FOX News Wednesday.
“There are 68 million acres right now that is available for exploration right now that the oil companies have — an area the size of Illinois and Georgia. We ought to be focusing on doing that,” Blumenauer said, adding that a legal gap he referred to as the “Enron loophole” exempts energy trading from oversight of the U.S. Commodities Futures Trading Commission.
“There are 68 million acres right now that is available for exploration right now that the oil companies have — an area the size of Illinois and Georgia. We ought to be focusing on doing that,” Blumenauer said, adding that a legal gap he referred to as the “Enron loophole” exempts energy trading from oversight of the U.S. Commodities Futures Trading Commission.
It may not have occurred to Rep. Blumenauer (or Sen. Dodd, who raised the same talking point in the Senate) that it could be there is no oil there. Or not enough oil to warrant exploitation with current technology. Or, perhaps, there are other minerals -- even gravel -- which aren't economically feasible at this time.
If oil is going for $130/bbl, do you really think that Exxon Mobil, Chevron, Valero, Marathon, et al aren't going to bring it out of the ground? Why aren't their lessors screaming bloody murder about their land not getting drilled?
Blumenauer is evidently a dumbass. But you should know better.
“But you should know better.”
Thanks for the help...
The left started parroting this point (68 million acres) early this morning. I’ve seen/read their latest defense from S. Hoyer, E. Blumenauer, C. Dodd, T. Ryan, & B. Sanders.
The only (R) response to this charge I’ve seen came from J. Barrasso. He was just on “Larry Kudlow” and noted the land may be ready for exploration but little details such as permits may be pending.
If the Dems have saddled up to this red herring, then the Repubs need to call them on it. The Repubs have the Dems on the defense right now on this issue and they need to keep pounding away.
Congress accuses Saudi Arabia et. al. of restricting output, while Congress restricts output in the US, causing us to be more dependent on foreign oil and pay higher prices. Congress is the problem, and not just the Demos. Republican Senators Martinez (FL), Snowe (ME) and Collns (ME) all oppose drilling offshore or in ANWR. Their line of thinking is in the Stone Age. Voters should get rid of any US Representative or Senator who opposes maximum use of our own resources, including nuclear power.
They should've done it EARLIER!! Now, maybe, the GOP massacre won't happen.
Realistically, drilling isn’t going to help. Despite leftist claims that Big Oil is a monopoly, it is pretty much close to perfect competition as anything can get. The price is set on the global market, and there are comparative advantages to building refineries into other countries as opposed to the USA. Alaskan oil, for example, could easily be sold to Japan as to California.
Granted, when people like Durbin and Obama try to stop BP from expanding its Whiting Indiana facility to process heavy Canadian crude, they can’t seriously yell supply is being constricted domestically because of a conspiracy. But anyone who says that we can drill our way domestically out of high oil prices is not being honest.
Pelouse-si: “We will not let you drill our way out of this!”
We Won The War
Drill Here, Drill Now
Pelosi is truly an ignorant witch.
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