“Let out people go,” entreated Rep Joe Barton (R-Tex.) former chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee of Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) Barton was speaking at a press conference on the fifth day of Republican grandstanding in the House of Representative. Barton and Republican Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), who returned from his district for the event, called on the Democratic leadership to call the House back into session for debate on the American Energy Act, a bill which the Republicans call their “all of the above” energy solution. Minority leader John Boeher (R-Ohio) has called for this “revolt” to last up until the tart of the Democratic National Convention.

The members which included, Representatives Dean Heller (R-Nev.) and Steve Scalise (R-La.) pointed out statements made by Democratic members of the House calling for a vote on energy legislation, particularly to for votes on expanded drilling measures. Blunt said that the group will be sending letters to every member of the Democratic caucus asking that they return from August recess to debate and vote on energy legislation.

The Republicans will get a vote on off shore drilling sooner or later, as the Congressional ban on offshore drilling on the Outer Continental Shelf expires Sept. 30 of 2008. Blunt said that if the ban where to expire on that date “fuel prices will head back down October 1st.” Blunt also said that threats of a government shutdown by opposing a continuing resolution were dependent on whether legislation to renew bans on off shore and oil shale drilling are included.

Rep. Louis Gohmert (R-Texas) called the Democratic leadership the “very best friend OPEC has in the entire world,” accusing House Democrats of funding “both sides” of the war on terror by standing in the way of opening up more U.S. territory for oil exploration.

“Democrats are for drilling,” said House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D- Md.) Hoyer explained that House Democrats agree with the public’s desire to devote resources to oil drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), oil reserves in the continental United States, and the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (not to be confused with Arctic National Wildlife Refuge–ANWR– in Alaska.) Hoyer said that the disagreements between Democrats and Republicans arise from where to drill for more oil. “If there’s a place to drill, let’s drill,” he said referencing acres of the OCS that have already been leased to oil companies. Democrats don’t necessarily want to drill where Republicans want, he said.

Hoyer said that while the price of oil per barrel has gone down almost $30, the price at the pump has not gone down to where the pain is not felt by his constituents. Hoyer also suggested that drilling in ANWR was something that Republicans are enthusiastic about, but that oil companies may not be. “I don’t know that oil companies have contacted me about ANWR, I don’t know, maybe they are not interested in drilling there,” Hoyer said.

Hoyer also implied that Republicans are simply paying “lip service” to the causes of renewable and alternative sources of energy, when he cited a quote from Maryland Republican Roscoe Bartlett who was quoted in the Politico as saying of Republicans, “They’re giving lip service to [alternative energy]…The only thing they emphasize is drilling.”

The Energy Daily and Covanta Energy hosted a media breakfast with Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chairman Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) to discuss the congressional outlook on energy. At the forefront of discussions was the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Moratorium. The OCS Moratorium was put in place by Congress in 1981 to protect America’s coasts from threats of oil and gas developments as well as to prevent leasing of coastal waters for fossil fuel development. (more…)

At a discussion hosted by The Energy Daily and Covanta Energy, Senator Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) says that he objects to the federal government ceding to coastal states. He says that all the royalties received could turn out to be hundreds of billions of dollars and the federal government should hold on to whatever sources its revenue it has. (0:41)

 

 Standard Podcast [0:41m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Briefer: Dana Perino

President’s Schedule:

President Bush had his normal briefings at 8 am this morning. At 11 am the President will make a statement on the 10th Anniversary of the International Religious Freedom Act, in the Roosevelt Room of the White House. At 1.30 pm, the President will make a statement in the Rose Garden on the energy needs of the country, and the importance of expanding exploration for resources here at home. The President will announce that he has decided to lift the executive ban on oil exploration in America’s outer continental shelf, and he will again call on Congress to lift its legislative ban.
Perino also made remarks about the news of former Press Secretary Tony Snow who passed away on Saturday. She thanks everyone on behalf of the Snow family for the outpour of support, and quoted the President: “Tony Snow was a great friend to everybody at the White House. “ Perino also announced the funeral services for Thursday July 17, 2008 to be held at 10 am at the Basilica at Catholic University. The President will be attending this service. (more…)