Critical US energy bill crafted in secrecy

Critical US energy bill crafted in secrecy

Action on GOP-drawn measure involving oil, gas, nuclear could come as early as Friday.

By Gail Russell Chaddock | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor

WASHINGTON – The massive energy bill taking final shape behind closed doors on Capitol Hill this week began in controversy and is heading into more of it.

Secrecy on energy issues began years ago when Vice President Cheney's energy task force met behind closed doors - a controversial process still being debated in the courts.

Now the two Republican chairmen in charge of the energy packages from the House and Senate are behind closed doors again - this time to rewrite the bill themselves without input from Democrats and other critics.

The process defies convention in this capital city.

What's known so far is that if the bill becomes law it would bring about several important changes. It would seek to:

• Open protected federal lands to exploration and drilling.

• Revive the nuclear power industry.

• Inventory offshore drilling sites from Florida to California.

• Open huge natural-gas reserves on Alaska's North Slope.

Republicans say their closed-door process is the only way to wrest a bill out of a Congress that is deeply divided on energy issues. They say the result will produce American jobs, keep energy prices low, and ease dependence on foreign oil. - http://www.csmonitor.com/2003/1002/p01s02-uspo.html

...through the Senate. Frist just announced that 'we WILL have this bill'. They're voting to invoke Cloture as I write this....

• Open protected federal lands to exploration and drilling.

• Revive the nuclear power industry.

• Inventory offshore drilling sites from Florida to California.

• Open huge natural-gas reserves on Alaska's North Slope.

- When they say 'revive' the nuclear power industry they mean another government handout to Bush* campaign donors. They'll work hand in hand with George's 'revived' nuclear weapons industry.

as long as the people pushing hard for it live downwind and downstream from them.

Let their air and water table become radioactive, and then see how much they want the plant.

The NIMBY strikes back. Kinda like the "More prisons! Wait, they're building one where????"

...except those who build them. Those who just happen to be Friends of Bush*.

- It's clear the Bushies don't care who they kill or what they 'contaminate' as long as the energy / military industry is happy.

visualizing the clip of the Blimp blowing up!

*

n/t

break, Daschle says that it would be a waste of time, better to get on with the other pending bills.

will keep ckg if you continue updating...

Imperial Amerika doesn't give a shit about the Imperial Subjects of Amerika, except as "fodder units" to be squeezed and used up, then thrown away.