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Bush's Eye Still on Arctic Drilling

By Bobby Allyn - Feb 6th, 2008 at 7:28 pm EST

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Tags: alaska, Bush administration, drilling

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The Bush administration on Monday again asked Congress to allow oil and natural gas drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, saying $7 billion could be raised in leasing fees from energy companies, according to Reuters.

The Democractic-controlled Congress opposes drilling, and hopefully their opposition proves to actually stop such efforts. But if their track record is any indication of whether it will be stopped, then prepare for more drilling, Alaska.

If the refuge were opened to drilling, it would take about eight years before the area reached full production of around 800,000 to 1 million barrels per day, according to the Energy Department's analytical arm, Reuters reports.

Reader Comments

Alaska will be fine

By Christy Feb 6th 2008 at 7:37 pm EST

"The Democractic-controlled Congress opposes drilling, and hopefully their opposition proves to actually stop such efforts. But if their track record is any indication of whether it will be stopped, then prepare for more drilling, Alaska."

What you mean by "their track record" are those bills that didn't get passed cause the president vetoed them and the congressional Republicans refused to override him (the Dems do not have a two-thirds majority on their own).
However, this one is not subject to a presidential veto, since the president is the one proposing it, and then the Democrat-controlled House of Representatives can (and will) vote it down with a simple majority.

Re: Alaska will be fine

By Admiral Feb 8th 2008 at 1:50 pm EST

Allyn's comment on the track record of Congress is actually relatively sound. While the House is in solid democratic control, the Senate is not. Congress's approval rating is very low because they have refused to oppose the president. While 221,000 people sign a petition to begin impeachment proceedings on Dick Cheney, Nanci Pelosi has made it very clear it's simply 'off the table.'

But it's more than that. It's signing the FISA bill, it's the transgressions democrats made in the last congress, it's all these little bills that are really important that they make concessions on. The 'track record' of Congress refers to the continual behavior of the supposed democratic-majority that "Oh? We won't get what we want? K." And the discussion ends there, and bills counteractive to American interests get passed.

Re: Alaska will be fine

By Christy Feb 9th 2008 at 1:22 pm EST

Sorry, but I have to disagree with you. When you only have a simple majority, and a very small one for that, and a president that won't accept anything but his terms (and his terms only) and a Republican minority that sticks with him no matter what, then you have no choice but to compromise.
Don't forget that these people have to keep the country running and can't afford to bring everything to a halt because of partisan politics. I worked on Capitol Hill last summer, I saw what's going on there. I saw them ripping each othger apart on the House and Senate Floor, and I saw what zealots those Republicans are.
And may I remind you that a bill voted down by the House never reaches the Senate in the first place. And it will be voted down.

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