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.
Then. They’ll apologize.
/s
If we don't oust the dimRats Senators in Nov. that list is going to get longer - and we will NEVER get one pubbie bill through the senate, even if we have a pubbie POTUS...
This is one year we need to vote down the line...and get real conservatives set for 2010 to root out the rinos -
Lamar Smith is a good guy. If I lived just a few miles west of here, I would be in Smith’s district.
Where were the Republicabns when they had the majority and the power to actually keep some of their promises?
They just went ahead and renewed the prohibitions year after year even though it is part of their job to look ahead - to take the long view. Especially on an issue like oil drilling that has a multi-year lag between drilling and production.
Now, when it's time to get re-elected we hear what they want to do, not why they haven't already done it.
Voters gave Republicans the majority and the power to legislate responsibly but they did very little with it, other than stuff their piggish faces at the money through.
Republicans and Democrats play Good Cop - Bad Cop and just swap roles every 4 to 8 years.
The last time the government was shut down a fat girl bringing pizza to bubba changed the political scene forever!
Thanks so much for the link. I suppose this will mean even more pleas for campaign contributions in my email box:)
Thanks for the ping!
See Post 51!
Jeez!!!
bttt
well put! dittos
Works for me.
I’m all for term limits. Don’t think I’ll ever vote for a two-term incumbent again. They stay in office too long and forget that they are supposed to be representing all of the voters in their districts.
“Smith, Gordon H. (R-OR)”
I cant believe I actually voted for this Rino.....
Please forgive me, Freepers......
Do you live in the Round Rock area?
I’d like to see all those (word self censored by me)s live under, for 20 or more years, the laws and regulations they make us live under and they may have a different view of what they should be doing.
Better than that, Cedar Park. :)
Chambliss was a solid conservative. I don’t know anything about Corker. The other three are losers.
Well, I go through there on the way to work. I live in Lago Vista.
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