Posted on 08/14/2008 6:46:28 AM PDT by 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.
McCain hasn’t signed.
Who is your Congresscritter? Mine is John Carter, who I'm also proud of.
I would recommend it.
Any NE Senator who is for drilling needs all the encouragement they can get.
I have to agree with you there. Too bad we can't send most of them home for good, i.e., term limits.
Thank you.
I wish I was as sure as you are. His best buddy, Lindsey Graham, is one of the gang of 10 with the Obama-friendly energy proposal.
I have heard that McCain’s thinking at this point is that conservatives have nowhere else to go, so he thinks he can dare to do almost anything . . . up to and including choosing Joe Lieberman as his VP.
Elizabeth Dole is up for re-election and has been running phoney ads about how she is all for energy. But she sides with the gang of 10.
The usual RINO suspects Snowe, Collins and Coleman.
It’s Dodo-bird extinction time for these destroyers of conservatism.
In his case the I doesn't stand for 'Independent', but for IDIOT!
Now, why are my 2 IDIOTIC senators (Susan 'I think I need a tom Collins, since she is a RINO' Collins and Ms. Snowjob) not supporting OFFSHORE DRILLING!!
hey, ladies, get back to Washington, and support the DRILLING - we are SICK of you A**holes, telling us we can't drill!
democrats continue to expand America’s reliance on foreign oil ... democrat energy policy forces Americans to subsidize middle-east dictators.
A countdown clock to Oct 1? These guys already did it.
here’s the code (just remove some spaces)
< script type=text/javascript src = http://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/countdown/Energy_Widget.php ></script>
My Congresscritter is Lamar S. Smith. He has done a fairly good job for us.
I really like his positions about being pro life.
http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=27097
/Homer Simpson>
Oil revenue sent to the Middle East funds terror. Any politician who stands in the way of domestic energy exploration is in league with terrorists as far as I’m concerned.
Thanks for the list...contacted my ‘D’ Senator and urged him to sign, will also contact the ‘R’ and let him know that I appreciate his support.
?
Funny - his name is in the list in my computer. You got a different list, or just so trigger happy to slam McCain, your brain doesn't register his name in that list?
OOPs - my bad - looking at wrong list - mia culpa -
OK - FREEP McC
threaten?? they better do it.
oh, cars run on pebble bed reactors?
The list that’s showing above says McCain hasn’t signed.
People like you are as bad as any Obamaniac in offending others in the name of their “candidate”.
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