GOP Weak-Kneed on Energy Policy
AP reports: “A solid phalanx of Republican moderates drove House GOP leaders to drop a hotly contested plan to open an Alaskan wilderness area to oil drilling as a sweeping budget bill headed toward a vote Thursday.
“Twenty-five Republicans, led by Rep. Charles Bass of New Hampshire, signed a letter asking GOP leaders to strike the Alaskan drilling provision from the broader $54 billion budget cut bill.
The moderates knew they had leverage, given the narrow margin of GOP control of the House. It only takes 14 Republican defections to scuttle a bill, assuming every Democrat opposes it.”
Michelle Malkin has referred to this story as the “GOP cave-in.” She expresses her disgust quite simply: “Ugh. Just ugh.”
In related news, AP also reports:
“Lawmakers said Congress was unlikely to take up proposals to drill for oil off the Florida coast after House leaders abandoned another oil drilling plan in an Alaskan wildlife refuge.”
. . .Democrats and environmentalists oppose the 125-mile compromise, but some Florida Republicans, including Gov. Jeb Bush, have endorsed it.
. . .GOP leaders, led by House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., also agreed to drop a plan to allow states to waive a 24-year ban on drilling along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and open a contested tract off the Florida Gulf coast to oil drilling. Several Florida Republicans opposed the plan.
Malkin recommends giving House Speaker Hastert “your two cents here.”
We followed her advice. Read it here.
November 10th, 2005 at 6:14 am
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November 10th, 2005 at 6:51 am
House leaders drop Arctic drilling proposal from budget bill
House leaders late Wednesday abandoned an attempt to push through a hotly contested plan to open an
November 10th, 2005 at 12:34 pm
Republicans Cave . . . Again!
While the Senate tries to punish oil companies for making a profit, the House drops a bill that would allow for more drilling. If our politicians really want to blame someone for high gas prices, they should look inward.
December 13th, 2005 at 9:11 am
[...] RELATED: GOP Weak-Kneed on Energy Policy Driving the Refinery Fight [...]