House Approves Republican Offshore Drilling Bill

The sales had been deferred by the Obama Administration in an effort to allow more time to conduct environmental reviews and incorporate new safety reforms, following the massive Gulf Oil Spill that occurred in April of 2010. The White House has criticized the bill, known as the Restarting American Offshore Leasing Act Now, saying it would serve only to undermine safety reforms within the industry. According to the White House, ''These reforms strengthen requirements for issues ranging from well design to workplace safety to corporate accountability, and they require operators to show that they can contain a subsea oil spill like the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.''

However, Representative Doc Hastings, R-Wash., argues that the bill is necessary to bring down rising gasoline prices. ''The pain being felt today has been exacerbated by the actions of the Obama Administration,'' claims Hastings who sponsored the bill, along with two other pro-oil production measures which will be voted on before Memorial Day. One of these bills would force the Interior Department to open up drilling in areas off the coast of Southern California and Alaska as well in the Atlantic, while the other would accelerate the process for obtaining drilling permits. Hastings defends the measures saying that by opening up more US drilling areas, the country can show its dedication to reducing its reliance on foreign oil, thus leading to lower prices at the pump.


Although it is unlikely that the three measures will pass through the Democratic Senate, the White House has clearly stated that it would oppose two of the bills. The White House says that the passage of the bills would lead to new drilling based on out of date environmental studies. Environmental analyses used prior to the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, were based on the occurrence of much smaller spills. Democratic Representative Jared Polis echoed White House sentiments in saying ''Together these bills will not relieve pain at the pump, but they will increase the chance of another...disaster, costing lives, livelihood, and hurting some of our precious natural resources.'' Representative Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts, agreed, noting that the Restarting American Offshore Leasing Act Now ''represents a return to the pre-spill mentality of speed over safety.''

Although Democrats failed in their attempts to pass a bill ensuring that all of the oil and gas produced from such leases would be sold within the US, there is still hope in the possibility of gathering support for other measures, including legislation that would put an end to oil company subsidies.