Earth Equity News

House Democrats Deny Republicans Vote on Offshore Drilling. By H. Josef Hebert, AP, June 24, 2008. "House Democrats... maneuvered to block Republican attempts to expand offshore drilling, an idea gaining in popularity amid $4-a-gallon gas prices. Action on legislation that would assure continuation of the ban... was put off until later this summer after it became... clear that Republican lawmakers may have the votes to lift [it]. As Democrats prepared a string of energy proposals before... the July 4 holiday recess, Republicans charged that they were being blocked from getting a vote on whether to end the [drilling] ban... The similar Interior spending bill, which also included the offshore drilling ban, was put off in the Senate as well... Democratic congressional leaders remain strongly opposed to lifting the drilling moratorium, arguing that oil companies already hold leases to 40 million acres of federal waters that they have not moved to develop... Meanwhile, House Democratic leaders failed to get the two-thirds vote needed to push through a measure [to make]... fuel price gouging a federal crime, with penalties of up to $2 million for individuals and possible jail time. The vote was 276-146."