Republicans Threaten Renewal Of Offshore Drilling Bans

National Journal ^ | Wed. Aug 13, 2008 | Terry Kivlan

[Delacon]

Republicans are threatening to block the annual extension of the ban on offshore oil drilling, claiming to be building support for an effort that Democrats say smacks of a threat to shut down the government.

Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., has announced that 36 of the 49 GOP senators had signed a letter to Senate leaders supporting the designation of Oct. 1 - the deadline for renewing the ban for the 28th straight year - as "American Freedom Energy Day" and opposing the extension of the prohibition.

The letter, addressed to both Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, also targets the ban imposed last year on oil shale leasing. "Many people aren't aware that these bans on drilling must be renewed every year, and that all we have to do is to allow these prohibitions to expire on Oct. 1," DeMint said in a statement released Tuesday.

"In just 50 days, Americans will have the freedom to pursue their own energy resources here at home," he added. DeMint argued that it was "irrational to say 'no' to American energy" because it was needed to reduce independence on foreign oil and bring down gas prices.

Today, the senator announced he will begin a tour across South Carolina Thursday to promote greater dependence on domestic energy supplies. "The only way to reduce our dependence on foreign oil and lower prices at the pump is for America to rapidly pursue our own energy sources," DeMint said.

"America should remove barriers to a wide array of new energy supplies ... The first step to lower energy prices is to allow the bans on offshore drilling and oil shale to expire on October 1st," he said.

Aides to Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, said 136 House Republicans had signed a similar letter that the Texas lawmaker started circulating on July 23.

The aides said the campaign to scuttle renewal of the ban was not intended to blunt consideration of the bipartisan compromise energy packages calling for both costal drilling and renewable energy initiatives.

A spokesman for Reid was quick to warn that, because the bans are attached to annual appropriations bills, an attempt to block them could lead to a reprise of the 1995-1996 government shutdown that resulted from an impasse over government spending bills that pit President Clinton against congressional Republicans, led by then House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

"If they want to shut down the government, denying millions of senior citizens their Social Security checks, in order to side with big oil companies, then they should go right ahead," Reid spokesman Jim Manley said today. "But as Speaker Gingrich found out, the entire Republican Party will pay a terrible price in November for such a silly and desperate stunt."

On another front in the partisan fight over energy policy, House Republicans launched another day of floor speeches demanding that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi bring lawmakers back from their August break to deal with high gas prices.

"We are in a good position right now, the Democrats are trying to figure out what to do," said Rep. John Shimkus, R-Ill., alluding to Pelosi's reversal Monday night of her refusal to allow a floor vote on offshore drilling. But Shimkus deflected a question on whether he thought President Bush should veto a continuing resolution to keep the government functioning after Sept. 30 that calls for extending the coastal drilling moratorium.

The Illinois lawmaker merely responded that House Republicans were prepared to "call [Pelosi's] bluff" on consideration of a comprehensive energy plan.

[Delacon]

From American Energy Freedom Day's website www.energyfreedomday.com: (contact your senators)

 

36 Senators to Reid: Don’t extend the bans on American Energy

August 12th, 2008

36 Senators have now signed this letter to Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) vowing to support American Energy Freedom Day.

Dear Senators Reid and McConnell,

It is our hope that Democrats and Republicans will stand together to support American Energy Freedom Day on October 1, 2008. On this day, the current prohibitions on oil and gas exploration off the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) and in the oil-shale fields of the West will expire, giving Americans the freedom to access their own energy and providing them with relief from sky-high prices at the pump.

We strongly encourage you to allow the expiration of these prohibitions on American energy exploration and production, as scheduled under current law, and we will actively oppose any attempt to extend them. Now is not the time to deny Americans access to their own energy supply.

Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to working with you to ensure a victory for the American people on American Energy Freedom Day.

This letter will be sent to Senators Reid and McConnell after the Senate returns from its August break. Contact the Senators who have not signed it and urge them to sign this pledge to protect American Energy Freedom Day.

Senators Who Have Signed Alexander, Lamar (R-TN) Allard, Wayne (R-CO) Barrasso, John (R-WY) Bennett, Robert F. (R-UT) Bond, Christopher S. (R-MO) Brownback, Sam (R-KS) Bunning, Jim (R-KY) Burr, Richard (R-NC) Coburn, Tom (R-OK) Cochran, Thad (R-MS) Cornyn, John (R-TX) Craig, Larry E. (R-ID) Crapo, Mike (R-ID) DeMint, Jim (R-SC) Domenici, Pete V. (R-NM) Ensign, John (R-NV) Enzi, Michael B. (R-WY) Graham, Lindsey (R-SC) Grassley, Chuck (R-IA) Gregg, Judd (R-NH) Hatch, Orrin G. (R-UT) Hutchison, Kay Bailey (R-TX) Inhofe, James M. (R-OK) Isakson, Johnny (R-GA) Lugar, Richard G. (R-IN) Martinez, Mel (R-FL) Murkowski, Lisa (R-AK) Roberts, Pat (R-KS) Sessions, Jeff (R-AL) Shelby, Richard C. (R-AL) Stevens, Ted (R-AK) Sununu, John E. (R-NH) Vitter, David (R-LA) Voinovich, George V. (R-OH) Warner, John (R-VA) Wicker, Roger F. (R-MS)

Senators Who Have Not Signed Akaka, Daniel K. (D-HI) Baucus, Max (D-MT) Bayh, Evan (D-IN) Biden, Joseph R., Jr. (D-DE) Bingaman, Jeff (D-NM) Boxer, Barbara (D-CA) Brown, Sherrod (D-OH) Byrd, Robert C. (D-WV) Cantwell, Maria (D-WA) Cardin, Benjamin L. (D-MD) Carper, Thomas R. (D-DE) Casey, Robert P., Jr. (D-PA) Chambliss, Saxby (R-GA) Clinton, Hillary Rodham (D-NY) Coleman, Norm (R-MN) Collins, Susan M. (R-ME) Conrad, Kent (D-ND) Corker, Bob (R-TN) Dodd, Christopher J. (D-CT) Dole, Elizabeth (R-NC) Dorgan, Byron L. (D-ND) Durbin, Richard (D-IL) Feingold, Russell D. (D-WI) Feinstein, Dianne (D-CA) Hagel, Chuck (R-NE) Harkin, Tom (D-IA) Inouye, Daniel K. (D-HI) Johnson, Tim (D-SD) Kennedy, Edward M. (D-MA) Kerry, John F. (D-MA) Klobuchar, Amy (D-MN) Kohl, Herb (D-WI) Kyl, Jon (R-AZ) Landrieu, Mary L. (D-LA) Lautenberg, Frank R. (D-NJ) Leahy, Patrick J. (D-VT) Levin, Carl (D-MI) Lieberman, Joseph I. (ID-CT) Lincoln, Blanche L. (D-AR) McCain, John (R-AZ) McCaskill, Claire (D-MO) Menendez, Robert (D-NJ) Mikulski, Barbara A. (D-MD) Murray, Patty (D-WA) Nelson, Bill (D-FL) Nelson, E. Benjamin (D-NE) Obama, Barack (D-IL) Pryor, Mark L. (D-AR) Reed, Jack (D-RI) Rockefeller, John D., IV (D-WV) Salazar, Ken (D-CO) Sanders, Bernard (I-VT) Schumer, Charles E. (D-NY) Smith, Gordon H. (R-OR) Snowe, Olympia J. (R-ME) Specter, Arlen (R-PA) Stabenow, Debbie (D-MI) Tester, Jon (D-MT) Thune, John (R-SD) Webb, Jim (D-VA) Whitehouse, Sheldon (D-RI) Wyden, Ron (D-OR)

[Delacon]

ping

[ZULU]

Remember the Judases: Isaakson, Corker, Thune, Graham and Chambliss

The Gang of Five.

[Carling]

Don’t forget McCain.

[chickadee]

McCain hasn’t signed? Hmmmmmmm

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

Corker and Chambliss are surprising me. The other three, not so much.

[weegee]

The headline is misleading, it sounds like “Republicans” are THREATENING TO (”Threaten”) Renew The (”Renewal of”) “Offshore Drilling Bans”.

In actuality, the Offshore Drilling Bans are EXPIRING and Democrats may not have enough votes to push them through AGAIN.

[Maelstorm]

Tell the gang to sign now! They made a mistake, can’t blame them for wanting to do something on energy but them not signing on to this is more damning than their screwy gang of 10. This issue is important to America and they need to put America first. I’d think they most of them who are solid conservatives(GOP) should understand this unless of course them being in the Senate has warped their minds. If that is the case we can remedy that situation. Keep the heat on. Especially on worm Graham. McCain should tell the bastard to sign or get the hell off his campaign.

[Carley]

Shut the government down. We’re safer and better off when they are out of town.

[Westbrook]

Good to see both my senators on the list (Gregg and Sununu, NH).

I think I’ll send them a note of support.

Sununu is up for reelection against flaming Oblama supporter and rabid pro-abortionist, Jeanne Shaheen,

[Westbrook]

> Shut the government down. We’re safer and better off when
> they are out of town.

The last time the government was “shut down”, I didn’t notice a whit of difference in my day-to-day.

[Cringing Negativism Network]

Remember please:

The goal is ENERGY INDEPENDENCE.

Not oil company oligopolies. Oil companies could retool for these new markets faster than you can say “solar array”. They’re flush with BILLIONS in cash, and all have built very strong technological capabilities.

Keep all eyes, on the real ball please. Or this will backfire.

Energy is what we need. Not only oil.

Sure oil first.

But energy independence is the real prize.

Then: We do something about outsourcing. :)

[Maelstorm]

We should also add Senate Candidates to the list. Get a list who support and do not support this effort.

[Maelstorm]

Yes a comprehensive energy first plan is what we need. No one believes oil is the only solution but most now see that we have to explore our own energy resources whatever they might be. The Democrats and their radical environmentalist friends have been stalling American Energy development and expansion.
We need an America First Energy Plan.

[rockinqsranch]

Granted that the populace see’s fuel prices as the foremost personal effect of not drilling/producing our own, but I think NOT enough is said regarding National Security on the matter of such dependency upon benevolance of foreign energy sources.

This is something that truly needs more emphasis as well as prices.

[Dick Bachert]

PEBBLE BED REACTOR BUMP!!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pebble_bed_reactor

Using finite petroleum resources for stationary power and peaking applications is completely crazy when a new nuke technology like PEBBLE BED is available.

Of course, our “friends” at OPEC just LOVE it when we do stupid stuff like that.

Check it out then share the information with others.

[Maelstorm]

McCain will sign. If he doesn’t he is going to be hurting but there is no reason he wouldn’t. It is a good issue for him and Republicans. This confrontation is one that could make or break the election for conservatives and Republicans. Either way we win. We just need to stay on message and tell people we are fighting for energy independence and real world solutions not pie in the sky.

[lormand]

Saxby Chambliss is deteriorating before our very eyes.

He called into Rush last week and managed to piss me off much greater than I already was.

[KansasGirl]

From what I’ve read, it’s not a matter of letting the ban expire, but providing funding to grant the land leases. Is this correct?

[longtermmemmory]

can we start a countdown clock to October 1?

perhaps a banner on the index page?