OIL/ENERGY POLICY
U.S. House votes to open Va. coast to offshore drilling
"The Republican-controlled U.S. House passed a bill Thursday that calls for offshore oil and gas drilling off Virginia's coast within a year."
Also see: House passes GOP drilling proposal
Congress considers West Coast oil drilling
"Nearly a year after a BP oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico and created one of the largest environmental catastrophes of all time, federal lawmakers are considering encouraging drilling off the West Coast, including the rich oil beds off Southern California."
House GOP rejects effort by Democrats to vote on repealing oil industry tax subsidy
Ocean Champions Action Alert - Please act now and tell your Senators to oppose increased offshore oil drilling!
"Moments ago, the House passed H.R. 1230, a bill that would expand offshore drilling in the Gulf of Mexico and open up the Virginia coast to drilling for the first time. Exposing beautiful and sensitive mid-Atlantic beaches from New Jersey to North Carolina to an oil spill would decimate tourism and fishing jobs and economies while killing critical estuaries up and down the coast. We expected this bill to pass the House. A companion bill, H.R. 1229 is likely to pass the House as well. It gives the Secretary of Interior a maximum of 60 days to review an offshore drilling permit request. If an understaffed Interior Department can't complete the review in that period, the request is considered approved! Does that sound like a safe way to drill to you?"
