Gregorio+M.+Ruiz

  Since the early 1990’s, due to an executive order and delay from Congress, there has been a ban on expanding offshore drilling on both U.S. Coasts. CNBN reported just over a year ago on June 18th, 2008 with a headline reading, “Bush Urges Lifting US Ban on Offshore Oil Drilling.” Bush’s plan came to Capitol Hill when lawmakers were both were in a battle placing blame on who was responsible for such high gas prices that comfortably resides in the neighborhood of $4.00 per gallon range. Both Bush and Republicans have favored offshore drilling. They believe opening US East and West Coast has the potential of yielding about 18 billion barrels of oil. According to Bush that would be enough to meet US oil consumption for about 2 ½ years. Bush and Republicans also put blame on Democrats for opposing offshore drilling and virtually declared to the American public that Democrats were at fault for high gas prices. This resulted in 60% of Americans, who were desperate at the gas pump, to be in support for more offshore drilling. Also last year, John McCain, in hopes of creating wind beneath his wings for his presidential campaign, jumped on his party’s band wagon for offshore drilling, even though in his past he had been for the ban. This created another call on Congress to reconsider changing offshore drilling policy. Bush promised that if Congress took care of lifting the legislative ban, he would take care of lifting the executive prohibition. Legislation on offshore drilling began on August 16th, 2008 with the House of Representatives hoping to find common ground to pass new bill on the almost 40 year old moratorium on offshore drilling which included oil and natural gas. In their task at hand was to consider whether or not they would allow for offshore drilling to take place fifty miles out from both US Coasts upon each States approval. They also had to include considering the elimination of about 18 million dollars on tax breaks for the oil giants of this particular industry and redirect the funds to support efforts in finding alternative energy sources. The Washington Post reported that the first version of the House of Representatives legislation was to allow drilling on both Atlantic and Pacific Coast and only leave Florida Coast with an off limits status. The Senate also began separate legislation which resulted in their proposal for no offshore drilling on Pacific Coast but approved drilling in limited areas of Atlantic Coast also including West Florida’s Coastal waters. Bush’s claims on Democrats being opposed was true because this made Democrat Senator of Florida, Bill Nelson very upset, promising to he would take every measure to filibuster to “protect his State’s tourism industry and sensitive military testing area. Another Democrat that was upset was Democrat Senator Frank Lautonburg of New Jersey. He called the Bush / McCain plan, a gift to oil companies that would only endanger the environmental health of the Jersey Shore. Environmental and fishing groups also heavily opposed offshore drilling. They feared that drilling would pose a potential threat and danger to frail ecosystems along with potential oil spills that would damage the US Coastline. The offshore drilling legislation has been active still this year 2009. Especially with the economy acting up, high loss jobs, and rumor of gas prices rising even higher, offshore drilling sounds like a good answer to our nations distress. In May, the State of California was promoting legislation to promote offshore drilling with in State waters. Their motivations were of the like, to boost their state’s economy. Just last month U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu who is a Democrat of the State of Louisiana co-sponsored a Senate Bill 1517 which was filled by Senator Lisa who is a Republican from the state of Alaska. Senate Bill 1517 is also known as the Domestic Energy Security Act. The bill is targeting to lift the ban on oil and gas development in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. They are well aware of some Florida’s strong oppositions that I mentioned earlier such as prioritizing tourism industry. However they also sense a shifting in the attitudes of the Floridians who are also under the influence of the effect of the economy and unemployment rate. Landrieu has included a key motivator to help influence those that are still in opposition. Her bait is to include Florida in profit sharing program which is currently being enjoyed by the other Gulf States. But Bill Nelson, Florida’s State’s Senator still remains firm in his opposition calling this bill a “giveaway to oil and gas interests. He may have blown Landrieu’s cover for it is clear that she has the support of the oil and gas lobbyists. Still Landrieu is well confident that many people will be rallied up and that her bill will successful get passed through the Senate. With a promise of more local jobs and low gas prices she may very well make progress. If so we could see changes as a result, unless Senate Bill 1517 becomes a victim of the vicious cycle bills undergo through during the legislation in Congress. As I was searching for current legislation on offshore drilling, I came across various other bills introduced by both the House and Senate. At first I was motivated to get all the details from start to finish of every bill attempt I discovered. But after several days of research on offshore drilling, ironically I ran out of fuel. I had get starts obtaining bill numbers with an H.R. indicating that that bill had been introduced in the House or a S. to indicate the Senate, Titles, Name and political position of the author of the bill, associated bills and even the last major actions taken and current status of each bill. Then I caught on to a common pattern: introduction of bill, referral to one or multiple Committees and / or Subcommittees and Current Status would be “In Committee”. Others simply stopped after being referred. Well I stated to become suspicious wondering why I was coming to all these dead ends. Then I finally came to an understanding of what was going on with the bills. But it didn’t hit me until I came across bills with wording that was similar to other bills I had researched already. Basically, a bill gets introduced, referred to c ommittees and subcommittees and if they don’t make it out of committee then it’s put on hold until it finally dies or gets revised. So far, the Senate Bill1517 is the most current bill I found. I will follow it to see if far it gets to see if it actually makes it to the desk of President Barak Obama. 
 * __ Paper #2: Offshore Drilling Policy Issue before the U.S. Congress __**

- Gregorio M. Ruiz