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Energy:
Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006

Our Position: oppose
Bill Number: S3711
Sponsor: Senator Pete Domenici
Legislative Session: 2006

On August 1, the Senate passed this offshore drilling bill 71-25.  It limited in scope to 8 million acres in the Gulf of Mexico, but it's a move that will just add to the billions in profits already being made by Big Oil, do nothing to lower gas prices for American families or energy costs for American business, and will keep our nation dangerously dependent on oil. Despite the fact that raising the fuel economy of our automobiles would save oil and money, Senate Majority Leader Frist refused to allow a vote on a bipartisan amendment by Senators Lugar (R-IN) and Obama (D-IL) that would have raised these standards. Read more about the vote in our press release.

In late June the U.S. House voted 232-187 to lift the offshore drilling moratorium and replace it with a process that makes states jump through bureaucratic hoops to regain protections they currently enjoy, would allow drilling as close as 3 miles to shore if states choose, and could cost the federal government billions of dollars. Read more about the vote in our press release.

Solutions as simple as making cars go farther on a gallon of gas and as innovative as harnessing the power of the wind and the sun have been completely overlooked by both the Senate and House.

Status

8/02/06- Received in the House and held at the desk.

88/01/06- Passed the Senate with a vote of 71-25

Action Needed

What's next: Final offshore drilling legislation is far from a done deal. This bill, along with HR4761, will now go to a House-Senate conference committee, where ironing out the differences will be difficult. Senate leaders have said only a bill limited to Gulf of Mexico drilling can pass this year; House leaders, including Rep. Pombo, have been quite outspoken in support of more expansive drilling proposals.

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Background

The OCS Moratorium:

In 1981, Congress protected America’s coasts, beaches, and marine ecosystems from the threats of oil and gas development when they adopted the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Moratorium.  The moratorium prevents the leasing of coastal waters for the purpose of fossil fuel development. Every year since then Congress has renewed the moratorium on new oil and gas development off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts as well as Bristol Bay Alaska. In 1990, President George H.W. Bush authored an additional level of protection, and in 1998 Bill Clinton extended these protections and set them to expire 2012.  Now these protections are in danger of being weakened or overturned.  

Pro-drilling forces, with the help of powerful Congressional allies, are aggressively pushing bills that would undermine the moratoria that protect our coasts.  In 2005, drilling advocates were very successful in moving forward the debate to open our coasts to oil and gas drilling although they ultimately failed to change the policy.  These forces have vowed to renew their efforts, and we are already seeing their Congressional and administrative attacks.