President Bush urge[d] Congress to end ban on offshore oil drilling today: (My emphasis)
"Democrats on Capitol Hill have rejected virtually every proposal,
and now Americans are paying the price at the pump for this
obstruction," Bush said.
About 60% of Americans support
government moves to encourage more oil drilling and refinery
construction as a way to combat soaring energy prices -- but the same
number also profess to be in favor of conservation, according to a
Reuters/Zogby poll released Wednesday. [We should drill and conserve?]
The Presidential candidates are lining up along party lines on opposite sides of the domestic drilling coin:
Republicans, including
presidential candidate John McCain who announced his position this week
after opposing it in the past, increasingly support lifting the ban on
offshore oil drilling.
Barack Obama who is running for president,
and fellow Democrats, oppose it over environmental concerns and say
such action would have little immediate impact on fuel prices.
Despite the President's plea, the Democrats in Congress' Appropriations Committee blocked the measure from coming for a vote today. So the President proposes, Congress disposes. No help from Congress.
Some Democrats did propose that government take over some refineries though!
House Republicans tried to lift the ban before, "Time after time in recent years, drilling advocates have been unable to get the votes in Congress. When Republicans controlled Congress in 2006, the House of Representatives agreed to overturn the ban on offshore drilling, but the measure died in the Senate." The ban has been in effect since 1981.
Bush admitted his proposals
"will take years to have their full impact" but he said that rather
than it being an excuse for delay, "it's a reason to move swiftly" and
called on Congress to change the lift the moratorium by the July 4
recess.
With 67%* of American voters supporting more domestic drilling, what are we to do with our Congress that is so unresponsive? How about signing the Drill Here. Drill Now, so we can Pay Less petition?
Drill Here just reached the 1 million mark. The goal is 3 million signatures by the Democratic and Republican Conventions.
Click DRILL HERE. DRILL NOW. PAY LESS. to sign the petition and see the latest links to related news articles (updated every day).
*Latest Rasmussen poll
Links:
Brookfield7,
Fairly Conservative,
Betterbrookfield,
Mark Levin , Vicki Mckenna
