Posted on 07/19/2008 8:50:34 AM PDT by DallasBiff
WASHINGTON — A plan to lift the ban on coastal drilling is stalled on Capitol Hill, for one simple reason: A Californian who opposes President Bush's proposal is calling the shots in the House of Representatives.
Despite growing public support for ending the ban, even in California, Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she won't allow a vote.
"I have no plans to do so," Pelosi said Thursday.
It's an example of the vast power placed in the office of the speaker, who sets the agenda for the 435-member House. Members can force a vote if enough of them sign a petition, but that's a rarity because it requires rank-and-file Democrats to line up against their boss.
In this case, Pelosi is going against a rising tide of public opinion. Faced with rapidly increasing gasoline prices, 73 percent of Americans now favor offshore drilling, according to a poll conducted by CNN/Opinion Research Corp
(Excerpt) Read more at mcclatchydc.com ...
Environment vs Economy and the American Citizen .....and the winner is???
I don’t understand why the Republicans don’t communicate how stupid and harmful the Democrats are to our country. All the Republicans would have to do is tell the truth about how the Democrats have impeded the ability to produce oil and natural gas in the US. Just the facts. The American people have to be told that they will be paying $5-$10 per gallon for gas if the Democrats win the election and totally control energy policy.
Thanks for the reminder. I just contacted my representative and senators!
Those words of angst like those of Racists Reverend Wright are “Coming Home To Roost”.
Nancy has most certainly gone through menopause so it must be for some other reason that she wants middle America to suffer under her dictatorial leadership.
Why do we not see advertisements from Republicans saying this is the main reason your grocery bill has gone out of sight.
At the most basic level, we want to scream: Voting is DEMOCRATIC! WHY CAN ONE PERSON STOP THIS?
Just make sure pelosi gets plenty of coverage.
Can you harvest these?
If the government would let us!
http://www.communityenvironmentalcouncil.org/pressroom/PDFs%202008-/DailySound_SOSmeeting.pdf
Community Environmental Council (CEC) spokesman Michael Chiacos says
more drilling is the last thing he and his organization want to see. Santa Barbarabased
CEC is an environmental nonprofit focused on energy efficiency,
alternative transportation, and climate change.
“We need to stop hunting and gathering pockets of oil and focus on renewable
energy,” Chiacos said.
But Allen and SOS California founder Lad Handelman argue that by allowing
drilling near the natural seeps, Santa Barbara can greatly reduce the amount of
pollution in its ocean and, through the extra tax revenue, fund research for and
implementation of renewable forms of energy.
By the end of the discussion, Allen had Chiacos — a die-hard environmentalist
who makes his own biodiesel from local restaurant waste — personally agreeing
that drilling may be the right move for the future of Santa Barbara. Allen said
there is potential to drill the equivalent of 1.8 billion barrels of oil from the Santa
Barbara Channel from already discovered, but undeveloped fields. The
production of these fields, he said, would bring tax revenues of $1.6 billion per
year to the State of California and $330 million per year to Santa Barbara County
for the next 20 years. Money he argued could then be used to build a solar
thermal farm that could permanently supply 100 percent free solar electricity to
every household in Santa Barbara County and provide a $10,000 credit on a new
electric or hybrid vehicle every four years.
“The money could also be used to fund new wastewater treatment facilities and
education programs for Santa Barbara,” Allen said.
“With skyrocketing gas prices, it is clear that the American people can no longer afford the Republican Rubber Stamp Congress and its failure to stand up to Republican big oil and gas company cronies. Americans this week are paying $2.91 a gallon on average for regular gasoline – 33 cents higher than last month, and double the price than when President Bush first came to office.
With record gas prices, record CEO pay packages, and record oil company profits, Speaker Hastert and the Majority Congress continue to give the American people empty rhetoric rather than join Democrats who are working to lower gas prices now.
Democrats have a commonsense plan to help bring down skyrocketing gas prices by cracking down on price gouging, rolling back the billions of dollars in taxpayer subsidies, tax breaks and royalty relief given to big oil and gas companies, and increasing production of alternative fuels.”
- Nancy Pelosi, April 24, 2006
http://www.house.gov/pelosi/press/releases/April06/Rubberstamp.html
If Pelosi gets her way here, the Republicans should all resign. If they think they are going to win political points here, they are sadly mistaken. The American people did not vote for them so that they could be victims. Besides, in November, the headlines will be filled with Democrats blaming Republicans for failing to put an end to the ban when they had the chance to do so.
When good compromises with evil, it is only evil that profits."
-Ayn Rand-
ping
Pelosi Says Drilling for More Oil “Not the Answer”
House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said calls by Republicans to drill for more oil “is not the answer America needs.”
“Making gasoline more affordable would be the exact opposite of what we need to do,” Pelosi asserted. “We need to wean the country off of its dependence on fossil fuels. We can only do this if we discourage Americans’ love affair with their cars and put an end to the frenzy of excessive and senseless driving.”
In support of her contention that Americans’ driving habits are “excessive” and “senseless,” the Speaker pointed to a recent study showing that rising fuel costs were linked to declining highway fatalities. The study by two university professors looked at fatalities and fuel prices over the 1985-2006 timeframe and concluded that fatalities dropped by two percent for every ten percent increase in gasoline prices.
“The fact that the peak gasoline price in 2006 was $2.50 a gallon tells me that at today’s $4 a gallon we’re saving even more lives,” Pelosi conjectured. “Rather than undermine this salubrious trend by attempting to reverse the rising costs of fuel we should be celebrating our good fortune.”
read more...
http://www.azconservative.org/Semmens1.htm
Here’s an article talking about the specifics.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2048032/posts
“In the House, the power rests in the speaker, the power of recognition, of setting the agenda. . . . Very different rules,” Pelosi said.”
And the Queen has spoken.
“We, the people”....
went out with a democratic congress apparently.
stop talking about gasoline, start talking about home heating oil. Of course Pelosi will have her buddies RFK Jr. and Hugo Chavez buy everybody a gallon of home heating oil, and the PR bonanza will make everyone feel better about it.
Is that a Picture of Pelosi leaving the room after giving the saudi prince a Monica with a happy ending?
Because the GOP is the Noce guy party and wont point things like this out.
Man, I dread this election.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.