House approves offshore drilling in 236-189 vote.

WASHINGTON - The US House approved an energy bill last night that would allow offshore drilling as close as 50 miles from the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, but a last-minute provision added at the insistence of Massachusetts members would prohibit oil and gas drilling around Georges Bank, saving New England's premier commercial fishing grounds from potential harm.

The legislation also promotes investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency, paid for by eliminating tax exemptions for oil companies and increasing their royalty payments, and it authorizes more funding for heating assistance for low-income people.

The House voted 236 to 189 for the package.

The Democratic majority's support for expanded ocean drilling reflects mounting political pressure from an electorate deeply concerned about the distressed economy and high gasoline prices. Democratic leaders had previously criticized Republican proposals to end a longtime ban on offshore drilling, saying new wells would take years to produce oil and gas and thus have no immediate impact on prices. But with the ban set to expire at the end of this month and the November elections approaching, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi shifted her stance, proposing legislation that would allow drilling as close as 100 miles from shore, and with a state's permission, as close as 50 miles from shore.

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http://www.boston.com/lifestyle/green/articles/2008/09/17/us_house_approves_offshore_drilling/

Ain't that just grand.

If you do you'll understand why there's the clamor for drilling.

isn't going to make an appreciable difference to the American driver.

If you didn't tell people that they were addicts, and belittle their needs and opinions, they might listen more.

And the inability to understand that not everybody's circumstances allow them to reduce their driving any more than they already have.

But make no mistake - it's also the lecturing.

Any guarantee from the oil companies that the price of the gas will be $2 per gallon? I don't think so.

Gee, wasn't the issue of off-shore drilling the one that killed Gore in Florida? Yet the idiots on the Hill pass this sop to the RW and a giveaway to the corporate masters, and once again, ignore their liberal, progressive base.

I'm still hanging with this POS party why? Oh, yeah, Palin scares the shit out of me. Hmmm, makes you wonder.

GOP campaign issue over. Democrats can claim McCain was for drilling before he was against it. Democrsts voted for drilling, republicans voted against it. Americans aren't too bright to know what actually in the bill. All they will know is Democrats voted for it, the republicans voted against it, and Bush vetoed it.

as close as 3 miles from the coast. Aaarggh.

Is anyone really surprised by this?
More drilling means more money.
More money means more money - for anyone (Congress included) involved in this giveaway.
Economic socialism means more money for the wealthiest at the expense of the taxpayers.
AIG today, Mobil/Exxon tomorrow.
We are so f!&$ed!

Years. Years spent just doing the damn design. Then construction & testing. If by some miracle no hurricane destroys the platform before it goes online, it's 5-10 years before they will be pumping anything out. Then you have refinery capacity (both actual limits and limits imposed by executives restricting supply).

This. Will. Do. Nothing. Fuck. Shit. Fuck.

:sarcasm: sort of

Here's the part of the bill the Democrats were able to get: authorizes more funding for heating assistance for low-income people....something that WILL bring some big help and relief to people this winter. Expect heating prices to be as big a bite this winter as fueling the car...and at least here's some relief for those who will be hurt the hardest.

Yes, I don't like the drill, drill, drill side of this, but this bill stands little chance of getting through the Senate...this was political posturing that was another bone to the blue dogs...those who voted against the bill are now open to attacks of "they voted against asistance to help our elderly keep warm this winter"...that's another hammer on a bunch of Repugnicans in the Mid West.

She gave a good explanation of why they approved it, and it did make a bit of sense. She also said that she thinks that they won't drill, they have lots of drilling leases offshore already and they aren't drilling on them. The next President can reinstitute the driling ban.

I'm not sure I agree with her or not. But as somebody upthread posted, * is going to veto it because drilling would have to be at least 50 miles out. And the state would have to approve. So by the time this gets through the political channels, President Obama can reinstitute the ban.

the pukesters want the ban to expire so they can drill anywhere.

hmmm. It was still interesting, and the senate would have to pass it too, which is probably at most 50-50.

that her explanation sounded quite reasonable. I was totally outraged about this so-called "cave-in" by the Dems until she explained that if some bill doesn't go through, then the decades-old ban that on offshore drilling that has been in effect will expire and -- at least technically -- all offshore drilling will be allowed.

By this bill, there are (a) some restrictions on the drilling; (b) Dems get significant alternative fuel and other stuff in the bill that wouldn't have passed otherwise; and (c) the oil companies don't really want to do new drilling, as is shown by the large number of oil leases they already have and have failed to exploit. It also takes off the table the ridiculous "drill, baby, drill" meme of the Republicans, and the corollary attack that Dems won't allow the supposedly wildly popular offshore drilling.

There is not one single off shore oil drilling rig available for lease anywhere on the face of the earth for the next 3 years. They are all lease and scheduled. You could not drill off shore today, or anytime in the several years if your life absolutely depended on it.

jungle spraying a defoliant to destroy drug plants,"Fuck the environment!"

:dem:

clamor to something like drilling but still, they know there is no immediate result of this for maybe 10 years if any.

The dems should have stuck to alternative solutions and compromising on something like this never gains them respect from the American public. Yes, there are times when a compromise is good but this is not one of them because there is not going to be any really result from the offshore drilling and only possible environmental damage. The only ones who gained out of this is the republicans who use it every day pointing out how now the dems have come around to them and are for offshore drilling.

I think there is where in actuality the public sees the dems as weak which is why they have no respect for them in most cases as they see them as caving as usual.

I suspect there may be some members of Congress who do not want to go home before the election and explain to their constituents why they voted against offshore drilling when gas is around $4/gal. Polls show offshore drilling is popular in much of the country (that would be unaffected by spills or unsightliness.)

Where were the commercials and/or talk show appearances tat pointed out that oil prices have dropped significantly w/o new drilling?

Jay

or will they continue to chant like the koolaid drinking cultists that they are?

the assholes will still chant.

Nah.

:puke:

have any idea how they undermine voters' commitment to voting for Democrats every time they "compromise" with the opposition?

they choose not to. It's not like they haven't had the opportunity to pay attention. :grr:

...halfway across the world then?

I realize it was politically expedient to "beat the GOP" to the drilling punch(the polls suggesting roughly 70% of people were for drilling and all), but FUCK. All these nitwits are doing is stalling the inevitable transfer to a less environmentally damaging sources of energy. We are also going to further damage our already dirty planet and increase the probability of another disastrous oil spill.

Interesting to see if it gets vetoed by Bush though...the bill also includes the elimination of $18b in tax breaks for big oil.

And a cheap, weak whore at that. Worthless piece of shit.