Americans Win Important Energy Victory

U.S. Senator Jim DeMint (R-South Carolina) made the following statement after news that the bans on offshore drilling and oil shale will expire on October 1st, American Energy Freedom Day. Senator DeMint also announced new legislation and released a letter to Senate Democrat Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) urging him to allow consideration of his proposal that will expedite drilling leases, ensure states share in energy revenues, and prevent endless litigation from frivolous environmental lawsuits. American reserves offshore are estimated to hold over 20 billion barrels of oil and 97 trillion cubic feet of natural gas. And in the west, oil shale is estimated to be between 800 billion and 2 trillion barrels of oil -- that is more than three times the proven oil reserves in Saudi Arabia alone.

"This is a major victory for Americans who are suffering at the pump, now that Democrats ridiculous opposition has run out of gas,” said Senator DeMint. “Now it is time to ensure drilling is expedited and prevent liberals from tying energy production up in endless litigation."

On October 1st, American Energy Freedom Day, bans on oil shale and offshore drilling for oil and natural gas in America will expire and the U.S. Department of the Interior will be able to begin the leasing process for these areas. However, the leasing process has been delayed by years of bureaucratic red-tape and endless lawsuits by environmental groups like EarthJustice who have challenged nearly every energy lease.

Also, Senator DeMint believes states must be able to share in revenues from the energy production, as most Gulf Coast states enjoy today.

I was pleased to learn that Democrats have reluctantly decided to allow the bans on offshore and oil shale energy exploration to expire next week, giving Americans the freedom to access their own energy supply. This is a major step forward.

Now we must enact legislation that directs the Administration to expedite leasing in these new areas, arranges for appropriate state revenue sharing, and prevents frivolous lawsuits from stalling critical energy exploration. If Congress is serious about increasing our domestic energy supply, expediting production is a critical step in achieving that goal. I will ask the Senate to adopt this legislation this week, and I hope you will not block this important economic stimulus.

It has been suggested that Democrats plan to use environmental lawsuits to block exploration until they can reinstate these energy bans after the November elections. This would be a major mistake. I hope you will work with me to protect and expedite access to this new energy supply.

House votes to lift offshore drilling ban
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/business/6021493.html

The House voted Wednesday to drop a quarter-century congressional ban on drilling off the East and West coasts. The Senate is expected to follow suit by week's end.

But the Bush administration hasn't waited around for lawmakers to begin preparing for the day when oil and gas companies might gain access to waters long kept off limits.

The Interior Department's Minerals Management Service has already included a proposal to open acreage off the coast of Virginia in its current five-year leasing plan.

And last month, the Interior Department jump-started work — some two years ahead of schedule — on a new, five-year leasing program that anticipates new areas opening up.

“What we're basically doing is giving the next administration a head start,” Minerals Management Service spokesman David Smith said.

Most of the federal waters off U.S. shores have been off-limits to oil and gas exploration since 1982. And while no one really knows for sure, government experts believe those waters hold at least 18 billion barrels of recoverable oil reserves and 76 trillion cubic feet of natural gas.

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By allowing the ban to expire and “if” congress were to pass a bill to expedite drilling throughout America, we could solve a lot of the present day problems. With increased domestic oil & gas production and construction of nuclear power plants, we would not only become more energy efficient but we would turn the economy around by increasing the number of good paying jobs, increasing the tax base and “if” congress were to start “paying the bills” and balancing the federal budget; we could start paying down the deficit and become a “creditor nation” instead of a “debtor nation.” And the USA could become the “Energy Producer of the Americas!”

What we need now is some LEADERSHIP!
Are you listening, John McCain?

BUMP!

We’ve taken a giant step forward by allowing the ban to expire. Now we need legislation to tell the environwackos to sit down and STFU. If that doesn’t happen, all this will be for naught as the forward progress is halted for years via stupid lawsuits.

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