OFFICIALS LEGISLATION INTEREST GROUPS PUBLIC STATEMENTS COMMITTEES VETOES

Comprehensive American Energy Security and Consumer Protection Act

Date: Sept. 16, 2008
Location: Washington, DC
Issues: Energy


COMPREHENSIVE AMERICAN ENERGY SECURITY AND CONSUMER PROTECTION ACT -- (House of Representatives - September 16, 2008)

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, I wanted to reference today's New York Times editorial, not a Member of this body but the editorial page. It is titled, ``Ms. Pelosi Compromise.''

``This is obviously not the best moment for Congress to rush through an energy bill. The country is caught up in a heated Presidential campaign. Voters are furious at high gas prices. Republicans are happily pandering to that anger, while the Democrats fear it. And at the end of this month, just before Congress heads home for the election recess, the long-standing moratorium on offshore drilling is scheduled to expire--providing an opportunity for more grandstanding.''

The editorial continues that ``these are not sensible times, which means that Congressional Democrats, particularly House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, must try hard to make the best of a bad situation.

``The situation, briefly, is this: the Republicans have been bludgeoning the Democrats with the claim that Democratic opposition to offshore drilling is to blame for high fuel prices and that drilling is the answer, or one answer to the country's dependence on foreign oil.

``We find it hard to imagine that they really believe what they say. Drilling will have no impact on fuel prices for at least 15 years, if then, and any number of efficiency measures will do more to reduce the country's dependence than drilling for America's modest offshore reserves. But the chant of 'drill, baby, drill!' is playing far too well on the campaign trail for the Republicans to let the facts get in the way.

``The Republicans have offered bills that would provide broad access to the Outer Continental Shelf and in one case allow drilling as close as 12 miles from shore. So Ms. Pelosi is taking no chances. As early as Tuesday she is expected to unveil what she advertised as a grand compromise. The bill would allow drilling in all of the Outer Continental Shelf beyond 100 miles offshore from States that permit it.''

The bottom line: ``Ms. Pelosi's compromise deserves support. If it fails, the Democrats must fight to renew the moratorium. Otherwise, there could well be oil rigs within 3 miles of American shore.''

Thank you, Mr. Speaker, and thank you to the New York Times.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT


Source
arrow_upward