House votes to end offshore drilling moratorium

[ProSense]

Source: Reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The House of Representatives on Friday voted to end the federal moratorium on deepwater drilling for oil companies that meet new federal safety requirements.

The proposal to end the moratorium was an amendment to a pending energy bill the House was poised to vote on.

The moratorium will not end unless the Senate also votes to terminate it and President Barack Obama signs the legislation into law. The fate of the proposal in the Senate is uncertain.

The Obama administration imposed the six-month moratorium on exploratory drilling in waters more than 500 feet deep in response to the BP oil spill. The moratorium runs through the end of November.


Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20100730/pl_nm/us_usa_energy_congress_moratorium_2

[Ken Burch]

1. Well, the Senate is the Chamber of Oily Lack of Thought...

So we can assume this sucker will sail right through there.

[DrDan]

5. and I think the next step is lined up as well

[villager]

2. Damn! Imagine what would be happening if Republicans were in charge!

n/t

[Pirate Smile]

3. Somebody will have to explain to me how this is Obama's fault.

[Tx4obama]

4. It 'might' be a good bill. Let's not jump to conclusions.

Maybe it IS a good bill...

Excerpt from Huffington Post:

WASHINGTON — The House has approved a bill to boost safety standards for offshore drilling and remove a $75 million cap on economic liability for oil spills.

Democratic leaders call the bill passed Friday a comprehensive response to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill and say it would increase drilling safety and crack down on oil companies such as BP.

Republicans and some oil-state Democrats opposed the measure, calling it a federal power grab that would raise energy prices and kill thousands of American jobs.

The House passed the bill 209-193. Partisan disagreements in the Senate will likely delay final passage of legislation responding to the Gulf oil spill until at least September, when Congress returns from its summer recess.

[customerserviceguy]

6. You sound pretty sure of that

The Senate can be bought, it just costs more than the House. And I'm not too sure the President won't revert to the stand he had back before Deepwater Horizon.

We're hearing all kinds of stuff about how the surface oil is going away, the cap is holding, Phony Tony's being sent to bed without his supper, etc. Once we get news that a relief well has sealed this sucker off, I doubt that the President will be able to resist signing this, especially if it happens after the fall elections.

[Tx4obama]

7. I was edited my WHOLE comment when you were posting yours ;)

I changed my mind after I read the HuffPo stuff.
Guess we need to hear more about what's in the bill....

[AlbertCat]

8. Y'know....

... you could get rid of the moratorium if you also imposed strict and comprehensive restrictions on safety and such before they could drill in the 1st place.



But... like that's what's happening...


Oh well.