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Bush Lifts Ban On Offshore Drilling

Texan

Well-known member
fff said:
Offshore drilling is banned both under a Congressional mandate and an Executive Order. Recently Bush said he'd rescind the Executive Order after Congress removed their ban...

Why won't Bush lift the ban?

http://ranchers.net/forum/viewtopic.php?p=286844#286844


I guess the President finally got tired of waiting on your do-nothing Democrat Congress, ff. Now it's their turn. Does he have to show them how to do everything? :lol:

=======================================

Bush Lifts Ban On Offshore Drilling
Congress Must Still Lift Legislative Ban Before Controversial Drilling Can Happen

(CBS/ AP) Putting pressure on congressional Democrats to back more exploration for oil, President Bush on Monday lifted an executive ban on offshore drilling that has stood since his father was president.

But the move, by itself, will do nothing unless Congress acts as well.

There are two prohibitions on offshore drilling, one imposed by Congress and another by executive order signed by the first President Bush in 1990.

The lifting of the ban is what the White House calls a "two-key" operation, reports CBS News White House correspondent Mark Knoller. The White House said Mr. Bush, trying to ease market tensions and boost supply, wanted Congress to act before he turned his key by rescinding the Executive Order.

"The only thing standing between the American people and these vast oil resources is action from the U.S. Congress," Mr. Bush said in a statement in the Rose Garden. "Now the ball is squarely in Congress' court."

Mr. Bush criticized Congress for failing to lift its own ban on offshore drilling. "Failure to act is unacceptable," the president said.

"And now Americans are paying at the pump," he declared.

Congressional Democrats, joined by some GOP lawmakers from coastal states, have opposed lifting the prohibition that has barred energy companies from waters along both the East and West coasts and in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. A succession of presidents, from Mr. Bush's father - George H.W. Bush - to Bill Clinton, have sided against drilling in these waters, as has Congress each year for 27 years. Their goal has to been to protect beaches and coastal states' tourism economies.

"This proposal is something you'd expect from an oil company CEO, not the president of the United States," said Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., chairwoman of the Senate Environment Committee. "The president is taking special-interest government to a new level and threatening our thriving coastal economy."

Environmental groups, too, blasted Mr. Bush's move.

"President Bush has once again ignored the wise precedent set by his father and taken reckless action that has neither hope of reducing gas prices nor concern for long-term consequences," said Gene Karpinski, president of The League of Conservation Voters.

Asked if Mr. Bush's action alone will lead to more oil drilling, White House press secretary Dana Perino said, "In terms of allowing more exploration to go forward? No, it does not."

The president, in his final months of office, has turned to increased oil exploration among other options amid record gas-prices. None would have immediate impact on prices at the pump, according to White House officials, who say there is no quick fix. But starting action now would help, they say.

Mr. Bush's proposal echoes a call by Republican presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain, to open the Outer Continental Shelf for exploration. Democrat Barack Obama has opposed the idea and instead argued for helping consumers with a second economic stimulus package including energy rebates, as well as stepped up efforts to develop alternative fuels and more fuel-efficient automobiles.

"If offshore drilling would provide short-term relief at the pump or a long-term strategy for energy independence, it would be worthy of our consideration, regardless of the risks," spokesman Bill Burton said in a statement. "But most experts, even within the Bush administration, concede it would do neither. It would merely prolong the failed energy policies we have seen from Washington for thirty years."

Congressional Democrats have rejected the push to lift the drilling moratorium, accusing the president of hoping the U.S. can drill its way out a problem.

Mr. Bush says offshore drilling could yield up to 18 billion barrels of oil over time, although it would take years for production to start. Mr. Bush also says offshore drilling would take pressure off prices over time. In addition, the president has proposed opening the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge for drilling, lifting restrictions on oil shale leasing in the Green River Basin of Colorado, Utah and Wyoming and easing the regulatory process to expand oil refining capacity.

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and other lawmakers have backed legislation to allow offshore exploration. Their measure would pursue other ways to expand energy sources, too.

"Now the only thing standing between consumers at the pump and the increased American energy they are demanding is the Democrat leadership in Congress," McConnell said. "We should act and act now."

Nearly half the people surveyed by the Pew Research Center in late June said they now consider energy exploration and drilling more important than conservation, compared with a little over a third who felt that way only five months ago. The sharpest shift in attitude came among political liberals.

Democrats say they are for drilling, but argue that oil companies aren't going after the oil where they already have leases. So why open new, protected areas? they ask. Democrats say there are 68 million acres of federal land and waters where oil and gas companies hold leases, but aren't producing oil.

"Americans are fed up every time they go to fill up and they're right to demand action. But instead of a serious response, President Bush and his allies simply repeat the same old line - more drilling," Democratic Rep. Chris Van Hollen said in the Democrats' radio address on Saturday.



http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/07/14/national/main4257757.shtml
 

kolanuraven

Well-known member
It's a nice move to try to ' secure' his legacy.....but it won't matter one itty bitty bit for decades to come.




Granted I think they should have done this yrs ago....and everyone should have seen this.

Pretty crappy move just to make yourself look good at the last minute knowing it's really a useless move.


Cuba just made a deal with about 8-9 countries to drill off their shores.....they will drill within about 45+/- miles of the Keys!!

If GW had the urge to " invade" something....why didn't he go for Cuba?

He considers them " evil doers" also :roll: :roll: :roll:



Closer, better climate, an island w/ no border issues, build a WalMart and Burger King and it would have been ours in a matter of hours! We'd have access to all the oil & goodies in the Chixalube Crater Basin!


But nooooooo....we go for the ' cat box' instead!!!



Ok..I'm done. :lol:


Out to mow grass ALL DAY LONG!!!!
 

fff

Well-known member
Good for George. He's flip flopped on his stand. The hold up on offshore drilling is and has always been the objection of senators and congressmen from the states affected. Most of them have objected, Dems and republicans. I think the Dem majority should call their bluff and call for a vote on offshore drilling. Let's get it on the table as to who's for it and against it. The Republican govenor of CA just said:

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today stood his ground on offshore drilling, declining to join a call by fellow Republicans, including President Bush and John McCain, the GOP's presumptive presidential nominee, to lift a moratorium on drilling off the coast of California and other coastal states. McCain said this week that he supports allowing states to determine whether they want to tap into the oil reserves beneath their coastal waters. In California, at least, there appear to be powerful political forces against the idea.

Continued: http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/national/2008/06/18/schwarzenegger-still-opposes-offshore-drilling.html

Oil companies have millions of acres of land leased land that they're not drilling on and yet Republicans are using the off shore ban as a political hot rock in the election. That's politics. If they can make it work, maybe they'll win back a majority in the House. :roll: They, for sure, aren't going to win elections on Iraq, the budget, job creation, health care, or gay marriage this year. :lol:
 

RobertMac

Well-known member
kolanuraven said:
It's a nice move to try to ' secure' his legacy.....but it won't matter one itty bitty bit for decades to come.




Granted I think they should have done this yrs ago....and everyone should have seen this.

Pretty crappy move just to make yourself look good at the last minute knowing it's really a useless move.


Cuba just made a deal with about 8-9 countries to drill off their shores.....they will drill within about 45+/- miles of the Keys!!

If GW had the urge to " invade" something....why didn't he go for Cuba?

He considers them " evil doers" also :roll: :roll: :roll:



Closer, better climate, an island w/ no border issues, build a WalMart and Burger King and it would have been ours in a matter of hours! We'd have access to all the oil & goodies in the Chixalube Crater Basin!


But nooooooo....we go for the ' cat box' instead!!!



Ok..I'm done. :lol:


Out to mow grass ALL DAY LONG!!!!

Absolutely clueless...but then, typical liberalism.

"We can't drill our way out of this..." is absolutely the most stupid, moronic statement any human or politician could make!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 

fff

Well-known member
RobertMac said:
Absolutely clueless...but then, typical liberalism.

"We can't drill our way out of this..." is absolutely the most stupid, moronic statement any human or politician could make!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Who's cluless? Texas oil man T. Boone Pickens, says


"This Is One Emergency We Can't Drill Our Way Out Of"

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Story?id=5330139&page=1
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
I agree Kola- you can't drill your way out...Its going to take several differing actions....

I'm glad to see both parties talking about taking care of the speculators- Dems want to do it this week in a single bill on speculation-- Repubs are stalling and want it thrown in a massive energy bill- which may or may not get handled before the election :roll: ....I have to agree with the Dems- give the Repubs a consent agreement-- do a good clean speculation bill- then work on a future energy bill....

These bills that have 500 different thinkgs thrown in 30,000 pages of paperwork- are always the ones that get the special interest loopholes finagled in....

Stupak made the comment that from the testimony he has heard- he believes that gas prices at the pump will drop 30 % within one month of passage of the speculation bill....He said some believe as much as 50%... :???:

Offshore drilling--One big question in my mind--when did states get control of US territorial waters? From everything I remember ever reading- states only have control and jurisdiction 3 miles out- everything else out to the 200 mile line is Federal- beyond that is open sea....
The Repubs want to give the states control all the way out to the 200 mile line to decide on drilling- and also give them a share of the royalties all the way out to the 200 mile line :???: ....

I- living in my landlocked state say BullPuckey--they should have control only over their coastal waters 3 miles out (as historically has been the case) and anything beyond that- the decision should be the Federal governments and the royalties should go into the coffers of the Feds, for the benefit of the citizens of ALL the country....
 

RobertMac

Well-known member
OT, you really are a lib....crying because someone else is getting a dollar that you can't get your grubby little hands on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wouldn't a reduction in the price of oil products "benefit of the citizens of ALL the country"???????????????
 

kolanuraven

Well-known member
RobertMac said:
kolanuraven said:
It's a nice move to try to ' secure' his legacy.....but it won't matter one itty bitty bit for decades to come.




Granted I think they should have done this yrs ago....and everyone should have seen this.

Pretty crappy move just to make yourself look good at the last minute knowing it's really a useless move.


Cuba just made a deal with about 8-9 countries to drill off their shores.....they will drill within about 45+/- miles of the Keys!!

If GW had the urge to " invade" something....why didn't he go for Cuba?

He considers them " evil doers" also :roll: :roll: :roll:



Closer, better climate, an island w/ no border issues, build a WalMart and Burger King and it would have been ours in a matter of hours! We'd have access to all the oil & goodies in the Chixalube Crater Basin!


But nooooooo....we go for the ' cat box' instead!!!



Ok..I'm done. :lol:


Out to mow grass ALL DAY LONG!!!!

Absolutely clueless...but then, typical liberalism.

"We can't drill our way out of this..." is absolutely the most stupid, moronic statement any human or politician could make!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I swear Robert....can you NOT read. I agree with lifting the drill ban...and stated so in the post.

I just think it's a lame actino on GW's part. If he'd done this 8 yrs ago....we'd be closer to getting some good of it. He's just grandstanding now.
 

fff

Well-known member
kolanuraven said:
I just think it's a lame actino on GW's part. If he'd done this 8 yrs ago....we'd be closer to getting some good of it. He's just grandstanding now.

You are so right. He's been president almost eight years. Republicans had control of Congress and the White House for years. Did they vote to overturn the ban on offshore drilling then? No, because REPUBLICAN governor of FL Jeb Bush didn't want FL's tourist to have to look at oil rigs off their beaches. Current FL governor Charlie Crist (snicker, snicker) was elected on a platform of no drilling. Now he's flipped, thinking he may be McCain's VP, but Bushs all the way back to George HW have been AGAINST offshore drilling. Bush is throwing another tantrum because no one is paying attention to him.

Did you see the fuss he made about Obama going to Germany? And he's going to veto the Medicare bill, even though he knows it will likely be overridden. What does that do? Nothing except make it tough on doctors and patients. He's a sorry excuse for a human being. :mad:

http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/bush-will-veto-medicare-bill-white-house-says-2008-07-10.html
 

kolanuraven

Well-known member
We can't drill out way out of this NOW......we can in about 10-20 yrs probably make a BIG dent in the situation.

I'm not saying slap a derrick every fifty miles off the SE/W/or NE coasts....but the place has not even been mapped or sounded in over 30 yrs.

Technology has advanced 1000% since then and if they looked now....no telling how much MORE they can find. And recovery is so much safer now.



GW just wasted a lot of time kissing the azz of his ' oil brethren', cause as long a BIG OIL is in power....there will NOT be any further advance in alternative fuels.

Don't ya'll worry, when GW retires he'll have plenty of $$$$ to buy fuel for that big truck to run up and down the dirt road in Crawford.....you might not have enough to buy fuel for those 300 acres of soybeans/corn/hay, etc. You think he's gonna care ?

We'll NEVER switch completely away from fossil fuels....you just can't on some fronts. BUT...on other fronts an alternative fuel might be just the ticket....but no one is given any room to try.


** OK ' sammich' break is over....back out to mow** :lol:
 

RobertMac

Well-known member
kolanuraven said:
RobertMac said:
kolanuraven said:
It's a nice move to try to ' secure' his legacy.....but it won't matter one itty bitty bit for decades to come.




Granted I think they should have done this yrs ago....and everyone should have seen this.

Pretty crappy move just to make yourself look good at the last minute knowing it's really a useless move.


Cuba just made a deal with about 8-9 countries to drill off their shores.....they will drill within about 45+/- miles of the Keys!!

If GW had the urge to " invade" something....why didn't he go for Cuba?

He considers them " evil doers" also :roll: :roll: :roll:



Closer, better climate, an island w/ no border issues, build a WalMart and Burger King and it would have been ours in a matter of hours! We'd have access to all the oil & goodies in the Chixalube Crater Basin!


But nooooooo....we go for the ' cat box' instead!!!



Ok..I'm done. :lol:


Out to mow grass ALL DAY LONG!!!!

Absolutely clueless...but then, typical liberalism.

"We can't drill our way out of this..." is absolutely the most stupid, moronic statement any human or politician could make!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I swear Robert....can you NOT read. I agree with lifting the drill ban...and stated so in the post.

I just think it's a lame actino on GW's part. If he'd done this 8 yrs ago....we'd be closer to getting some good of it. He's just grandstanding now.

I know it is ridiculous to ask, but take your "hate Bush" glasses off for a minute!

kolanuraven said:
.....but it won't matter one itty bitty bit for decades to come.

New oil supplies can be coming on line in as short as a few years.
BUT, more important, if the USA makes the commitment to go after all our know reserves, that will dramatically change the speculative picture in the oil markets and there will be immediate and large drop in the price of oil contracts.

Why didn't Republicans change all this while they were in power?

Surely you know that there are rules in the Senate that require 60+ votes to over-ride...such as filibusters. Republicans never had a large enough majority to accomplish anything and, remember, Sen. McCain was one of the Republicans. You mistakenly believe that a President has unlimited powers. A veto is one of his most powerful tools, but Bush didn't use it when he should have.

It's not the oil companies responsibility to develop alternative energy...THEY ARE OIL COMPANIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, we need alternative energies, but tell me what new energy source will have an immediate impact on the price of energy??????????????????
 

aplusmnt

Well-known member
Oldtimer said:
I agree Kola- you can't drill your way out...Its going to take several differing actions....

I'm glad to see both parties talking about taking care of the speculators- Dems want to do it this week in a single bill on speculation-- Repubs are stalling and want it thrown in a massive energy bill- which may or may not get handled before the election :roll: ....I have to agree with the Dems- give the Repubs a consent agreement-- do a good clean speculation bill- then work on a future energy bill....

....

It may be because Dems are hung up now on the catch phrase of the day, Speculators. If they can use smoke and mirrors to make everyone think it is only a speculator problem then they can avoid the subject of more drilling, more coal use, more Nuke plants etc........The Dems pander to the environment lobbyist and global warming nuts.

I am only guessing here but maybe the Republicans feel if they do not address the whole issue in an energy bill then they will never get anything done once the Dems claim mission accomplished with a Speculator bill.
 

aplusmnt

Well-known member
I disagree with those of you that say we can not drill our way out of this!

If we use every available resource we have NOW and not wait for some magical future alternative source of energy we can get out of this mess. Sure it will take some years, but there is not short term solutions besides using less, but even if we use less china and India will pick up our slack.

If we use the technology we have to do and drill in ANWR, drill off shore, utilize the shell oil reserves in the Rockies, build more refineries, start using our Coal for energy and build Nuke plants. we can get past this energy problem will all the CURRENTLY available sources.

The U.S. has more oil than the middle east does, we just are not allowed to get it or use it. And when you look at the potential of our Coal supply and natural gas we are in a better spot that most countries, problem is the Tree hugger, global warming Liberals say NO to all those solutions and only want to use technology that has not been developed yet.
 

kolanuraven

Well-known member
aplusmnt said:
I disagree with those of you that say we can not drill our way out of this!


You can have tanker after tanker lined up to unload....hit a gusher in your backyard....all of us can hit a gusher... and it won't matter....... BECAUSE....we do NOT have the refineries to process the raw product.

It does not matter how much ' raw' product you have....it only matter how much you can refine or process.


Surely you do not think that it comes out of the ground as easy a Reg or HighTest gas, or diesel.....do you??? :???: :???:
 
A

Anonymous

Guest
RobertMac said:
OT, you really are a lib....crying because someone else is getting a dollar that you can't get your grubby little hands on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wouldn't a reduction in the price of oil products "benefit of the citizens of ALL the country"???????????????

Right you are Robert Mac- this is for the citizens of ALL the country-- so should we take waters that have always been considered "NATIONAL" waters- and now give the decision on what can and can't be done in those waters to the state its closest too... :???:

Should Jeb Bush or Ahhhrnold be able to decide what is being done in "national" (actually under the 12 mile rule- "international") waters for 200 miles out :???: ....

If they assume jurisdiction over those waters- and are reaping the benefits- are they also going accept the responsibility's to enforce the laws they set up- and pay for any problems that come up in those waters..... :???: Does that mean California will have a Navy/Coast Guard- Florida will have a Navy/Coast Guard- etc. etc... :???:

This is one of the reasons Ronald Reagan was against and now a few of the true conservatives in Congress have held up the LOST treaty (Law of the Sea Treaty)- because they don't want to give up more US sovereignty....

I'm not against drilling ANYWHERE- they can in my back yard if they want-- but I also don't think the Congress should give away land/property/sovereignty that has always been considered property of all the people of the US to just the people of a few certain states....

And I hate these big broad take care of everything bills- thats always where they stick those "bridges to nowhere" and "Enron Loophole" add ons into- that seem to slip thru before anyone even gets the whole bill read....

If the hearings have been held- the bill drawn up- and most Dems and Repubs agree that speculation is a factor on the current problem- get it put thru....Then work on each other issue....

But none of these guys (of both parties) have balls enough to want to have to put a yea or nay on a specific issues-- so they can always keep waffle room for later...
 

aplusmnt

Well-known member
kolanuraven said:
aplusmnt said:
I disagree with those of you that say we can not drill our way out of this!


You can have tanker after tanker lined up to unload....hit a gusher in your backyard....all of us can hit a gusher... and it won't matter....... BECAUSE....we do NOT have the refineries to process the raw product.

It does not matter how much ' raw' product you have....it only matter how much you can refine or process.


Surely you do not think that it comes out of the ground as easy a Reg or HighTest gas, or diesel.....do you??? :???: :???:

You did notice I included building refineries in on my solution of using the technology we have at hand? :?

Besides a lot of why the price is so high is due to Crude oil prices on World Market, they have refineries in other countries like China, but even if we stay at current refinery level price will drop due to crude prices dropping.

But like I said above, we need to do everything we can with current technology, holding back nothing, rather its refineries, coal, drilling. We need to be like WWII and do everything at once!
 
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