Offshore drilling still faces Senators who want to restrict domestic supply of oil

Houston Chronicle:

The Republican-led House easily approved a bill Thursday aimed at opening up more offshore areas to oil and natural gas drilling.

But this measure faces formidable opposition in the Senate.

With industry and consumers alike complaining about high energy prices, the House voted 232 to 187 to authorize drilling in areas that have been off limits to oil and gas exploration for a quarter of a century. The legislation also gives states the power to take action to block such activity within 100 miles of their shore.

"This is probably ... the biggest thing we have done in 30 years in terms of domestic energy production and in terms of jobs," said Richard Pombo, R-Calif., chairman of the House Resources Committee.

The U.S. Minerals Management Service estimates nearly 19 billion barrels of oil and nearly 86 trillion cubic feet of natural gas lie under waters now off limits to exploration.

But opponents fear expanded offshore drilling will endanger America's coastlines.

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That is not their real fear and if it is one it is based on ignorance. Their real fear is that if we increase supply and drive down the cost of energy, we will use more of it. There is an anti energy lobby in this country disguising its intentions a under bogus enviromental cover. This is the same crowd that also oopose wind energy and nuclear energy. I am not aware of any energy production measures it favors. Its objective is to starve the country and the economy of domestic energy sources. The terrorist in the middle east have few better allies in this country.