Democrats to let offshore drilling ban expire

[The Straight Story]

Democrats to let offshore drilling ban expire

By ANDREW TAYLOR – 1 hour ago

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Democrats will allow a quarter-century ban on drilling for oil off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts to expire next week.

Appropriations Committee Chairman David Obey is telling reporters that language continuing the moratorium will be omitted this year from a spending bill to keep the government in operating funds after Congress recesses for the election.

Republicans have made lifting the ban a key campaign after gasoline prices soared beyond $4 a gallon this summer and public opinion turned in favor of more drilling. President Bush lifted an executive ban on offshore drilling in July.

The Interior Department estimates there are 18 billion barrels of recoverable oil beneath coastal waters now off-limits.

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5gB6bi0EyTozdEPy0KGisTQNaS2PQD93CMB3OL

[navarth]

1. 18 billion barrels of recoverable oil beneath coastal waters

won't that look NICE spilled all over the beaches?

[indepat]

2. Oh goodie, goodie: just think in only several years enough oil can be harvested off-shore to offset

a minor proportion of the oil the U.S. (big oil) exports from the U.S. each year. Oh goddie, goddie. Dems are becoming such sickening whores too imv! :P

[The Straight Story]

3. indeed (nt)

[pnutbutr]

4. I wish

They would push for the building of offshore windfarms instead of allowing oil drilling.