Oil fight could trigger a federal shutdown

[DogPoundPup]

Source: San Francisco Chronicle

House Republicans, who've been hounding Speaker Nancy Pelosi for weeks over her refusal to allow a vote on new domestic oil drilling, are plotting a high-stakes confrontation this fall that could spark a shutdown of the federal government.

Republicans see an opportunity when Congress returns Sept. 8 and will have to pass a temporary measure to keep the government funded beyond Sept. 30. Democrats are likely to include in the measure an extension of the congressional moratorium on offshore drilling, which would otherwise expire at the end of September.

GOP lawmakers warn they may try to block the measure - or pressure President Bush to veto it - if Democrats won't relent and allow the drilling ban to lapse. If neither side gives in, it would force at least a temporary shutdown of the government.

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, who led Republicans during the last government shutdown in 1995 that ended up bruising his party's image, said he thinks Republicans should force the showdown. He believes that the public, frustrated with high gas prices, would side with Republicans in demanding more oil exploration.

Read more: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/08/10/MNLM12704T.DTL

[bluestateguy]

1. Shutting the government down would roil the financial markets and cause oil prices to go up

though if Pelosi is smart she could negotiate a vote on drilling in exchange for Senate Republicans dropping all fillibusters on all bills for the rest of the year. But that won't happen.

[Warpy]

2. If she's really, really smart

she'll let that moratorium expire for the next five months and then fight to get it reinstituted when the Democratic Congress begins in 2009.

There will be no drilling offshore to trouble environmentalists because the simple truth is that offshore drilling equipment is booked solid for the next five years.

Taking the crybabies' favorite toy away from them at this point would devastate them.

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

15. That's a big "IF".

[radfringe]

16. tie the lifting of the moritorium

to the oil companies. it's my understanding the oil companies have a few million leases, and a considerable proportion of those already have been "explored", are viable sources but have been capped and therefore not producing.

lift the moritorium when the oil companies start using what they already have...

or do a trade - oil companies have to give up 1 lease that they are not using/producing in exchange for 1 lease that is in the moritorum zone

[HiddenCSLib]

11. Is there a reason

to not have an official up down vote on the issue. i am getting real tired of the idiots in washington holding up votes because of 1 person. Vote on the issues not bury them.

[snappyturtle]

3. Leave it to the repukes to get their mitts on more leases for their

friends even if they have to blackmail Congress to do it! I can see this happening. Eveything else they want they get or the president amends via signing statements, executive orders,vetoes, etc. What a slimey bunch. IMHO the oil companies want the leases but have little to no intention of exploring them. Just more resources to keep in their large back pockets.

[cstanleytech]

4. I cant recall exactly who it was (Reid maybe) but anyway

there was a bill that would force the oil companies to either use what they have now or lose it, in other words develop and tap into it or else which I think the democrats should force the republicans into agreeing to before any offshore oil drilling can be done in new areas.
That and make it a law that the oil companies cannot export the oil to sell in any other country as well as that they cannot cut the amount average annual amount of gallons of oil they were importing for the last 8 years in order to sell that oil in some other country.
Course it wont happen.

[snappyturtle]

9. Interesting...but I agree it won't happen; it should though. n/t

[girl gone mad]

12. Raise our royalty payments while they're at it!!

The oil companies are raking in record profits while this country is broke and we get the lowest royalty payments of any oil-producing nation! Venezuela gets 60% and the oil companies still drill.

[Wizard777]

5. O' PLEASE shut it down! Then all those reasons Pelosi has for not Impeaching disappear.

Yes we will be at her throat! But they will effectively have nothing else better to do than hold impeachment trials. BRING IT ON!

[Blue Gardener]

6. The repukes and their oil buddies

Are getting desperate. They know time is running out on their ability to grab more leases.

[2Design]

7. good cut the salaries of those not working - BFEE - off the books would be great n/t

[pattmarty]

8. This is one of the very few things that has some political traction.....

.....for the Republicans this fall. Pushing this propaganda and outright lies at this point in time, seems like their only hope for any victories at all in November.

[Hulk]

10. Let it!

This minority party of thugs and neocon/corporate shills need to be exposed for just what they are.

Let them explain how they closed the American government so oil companies could rape the shores as well as the land for more profitable oil.

I am so sick of these UGLY, wimpy assed neocons bullying Congress around.

Go about your business Congress. If these scum sucking bottom feeders want to do their best to shut down government, do your best to keep it open, and let the cards fall where they may.

Vote these scum buckets OUT in 2008!!!

If anyone is dumb enough to think allowing offshore drilling is going to IN ANY WAY help them at the pump, they are too full of shit to reason with.

[bemildred]

13. Yeah, bring it on! Let them finish themselves off. nt

[GoddessOfGuinness]

14. I'm hoping this will have an impact on people...

http://www.wecansolveit.org/page/invite/repoweramerica