Houston Chronicle:
House Republicans on Tuesday unveiled a suite of bills that aim to expand offshore drilling by forcing the Obama administration to vet proposed exploration quickly and sell more oil and gas leases along the East Coast.
Rep. Doc Hastings, R-Wash., led the move, which seizes on worries that spiking oil prices could constrain the U.S. economic recovery and taps into drilling advocates' frustration with the pace of the government's approval of offshore projects in the wake of last year's deadly oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
"The majority of Americans support offshore energy production, and these bills will allow it to move forward in a safe, responsible and efficient manner," Hastings said. "With thousands un- employed in the Gulf region and gasoline prices nearing $4 per gallon, swift action must be taken."
As head of the House Natural Resources Committee, Hastings is positioned to leverage the legislation through that panel and onto the House floor, where the bills could swiftly get a debate and vote. The measures would face an uncertain future in the Democrat-controlled Senate.
...
I suspect there are a majority of senators who will support the legislation, if they can pull it from Harry Reid's hands and overcome a filibuster. They may have to be concerned about a veto from Obama, but that is one that would haunt him in the 2012 election.
Image via Wikipedia
Comments
Post a Comment