Bush drops moratorium on offshore drilling
On the surface, President Bush's decision Monday to lift the presidential moratorium on offshore drilling - a policy initiated by his father and extended by Bill Clinton - appeared only to embolden Democrats in their efforts to preserve the 27-year federal ban .
The Congress has renewed its ban on drilling on the Pacific and Atlantic each year since 1981, and top Democrats said Monday they will again this year, despite pressure from Bush. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called Bush's action a false warning that "neither reduce gas prices do not increase energy independence." But environmentalists still have concerns: Bush's decision on a strike of two layers of federal protection against new offshore exploration. They also are concerned about a growing willingness among Democrats to support new drilling in some areas to curb rising gas prices. Republicans have been stepping up efforts to kill the moratorium Congress, and Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer of California said she nervous that at any given time, one of the GOP could win. "The public is behind the moratorium, but when the president of USA made it as solving the problem of gas prices, you have to worry about," said Boxer. A subcommittee House Appropriations defeated an effort to eliminate the drilling ban last month on a 9-6 party-line vote, but Republicans plan several of these votes this summer and fall. Environmentalists say the vote could be close. "The risk (for the moratorium) is high beyond belief," said Richard Charter, which the question of lobbying for Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund. The White House and GOP congressional leaders have long sought to end the ban, but now see an opening that polls show that gas prices over $ 4 gallon displacement are public attitudes about drilling . A Pew Research Center poll released earlier this month showed that 47 percent of Americans viewed increased drilling and construction of new power as the nation's most high-priority energy, up 35 percent there are only a few months. The number has more energy conservation and regulation as the top priority rose from 55 percent to 45 percent. Bush announced last month that he would support lifting the moratorium, but are waiting for Congress to act first. But on Monday, he said he had decided to act now because Congress has made no progress towards strengthening the energy supply in USA. "Today I have taken all measures within my power to allow the Exploration of the Sea (continental shelf outside)," he said in a Rose Garden speech. "This means that the only thing standing between the American people and these vast oil resources is the action by the Congress of USA. " Bush used his bully pulpit has also reinforced the message of the presidential campaign of Republican candidate John McCain, who wants to lift the moratorium and allow coastal states to choose whether to allow drilling. McCain praised Bush's announcement as a very important signal. Democrats point to a U.S. Energy Information Administration assessment that the lifting of the ban on offshore drilling that does not give rise to new oil before 2012, and would probably have a negligible impact on oil prices. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama issued a statement saying: "If offshore drilling to provide short term at the pump or a long-term strategy for energy independence, it would be worthy of our consideration, regardless of risks. But most experts, even within the Bush administration concedes it would not happen. " The issue of high gas prices has put Democrats on the defensive. The party has fought GOP efforts in recent years to drill on federal lands and offshore, but is now working feverishly to avoid being depicted as anti-drilling. Even Boxer, the Senate's most ardent defenders of the environment, said Monday it supports more drilling. "I support where it makes sense," she said. Last week, Pelosi and other Democrats said they want more drilling in the National Petroleum Reserve, 23 million hectares in north-west Alaska. At a press conference on Capitol Hill Monday, Senator Jeff Bingaman, DN.M., chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources, displayed maps showing areas of eastern Gulf of Mexico near Florida, which it believes should be open to exploration. "This is the greatest potential for additional oil and gas production in the continental shelf outside," he said. "I think all the experts will tell you, this is where the oil companies would have access to go ahead with drilling." Florida Gov. Charlie Crist, a Republican, has approved the lifting of the moratorium that states could decide whether to allow drilling. But California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger opposes the effort, and issued a statement Monday supporting the ban. "I know people are frustrated with soaring gas prices, and I welcome the national debate on solutions to reduce our energy costs in California, but we know offshore drilling is not the response, "he said. |
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