Free Republic

PORTSMOUTH — In a move that could bode well for the continued conservation of Georges Bank, the U.S. House of Representatives last week approved an energy plan containing a provision prohibiting exploratory oil drilling in that area. But with the federal offshore drilling ban set to expire Sept. 30 and the energy plan far from gaining final approval, the future Georges Bank is very much in limbo. The entire New England House delegation voted for the plan, called the Comprehensive American Energy Security and Consumer Protection Act. It calls for, among other things, the expansion of offshore drilling 50-100 miles...

FOR THE RECORD “[T]he House of Representatives approved a bill to allow offshore oil drilling, but nearly all the Republicans voted against it... It isn’t a drilling bill, it’s an anti-drilling bill. If it becomes law, nearly all the oil and gas in the Outer Continental Shelf would be off-limits forever... This bill permanently bans all drilling within 50 miles of the US coast, which just happens to be where most of the recoverable oil and gas reserves are. It permits drilling between 50 and 100 miles out only if the adjoining states agree - which they won’t, since the...

Oil up 20& after Nancy announcement

House Democrats are bypassing renewal of the offshore oil drilling ban by including the entire Pelosi “drill nothing” energy bill in a draft of a Continuing Resolution. HUMAN EVENTS obtained a copy of the most recent House draft CR this morning. The Pelosi bill, HR 6899, fails to open more than a miniscule part of the available offshore drilling areas and -- even worse -- it establishes permanent bans on development of most other domestic energy sources (natural gas, oil shale, etc.) and does nothing to develop nuclear power. It passed the House earlier this month and is now languishing...

All summer long, House Republicans staged weekly news conferences outside the Capitol calling for more offshore oil drilling. And they were usually met by an assortment of environmental protesters chanting in unison, trying to drown out the GOP's pro-drilling voices. Some even wore polar bear costumes to protest Arctic drilling proposals. But then Democrats approved a bill Tuesday that could lead to drilling just 50 miles off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, reversing the party's long-standing opposition to exploration of the outer continental shelf.

Democrats introduced a 290-page energy bill at 9:45 p.m. Monday night which passed 236-189 Tuesday evening -- just over 24 hours after the bill was filed. The bill reportedly did not go through any committees or subcommittees, and Democratic leaders are not allowing a single amendment to be offered. If passed by both houses, the bill would keep 80 percent to 88 percent of known domestic reserves permanently off limits.

If you're like me, the bluster and grandstanding associated with big congressional actions make you want to roll up the windows, crank up the radio, and tune out the whole circus. But the mammoth energy bill finally passed by Congress and signed by President Bush is something consumers should pay attention to. Among other things, the new law will directly affect the kinds of cars on the market in a few years--and what buyers pay for them. Some of the big changes that automakers and consumers will both have to contend with: Surprisingly tough gas mileage standards. The requirement to...