Obama Underwrites Offshore Drilling

[detbuch]

Originally Posted by JohnnyD

True, not filibuster proof. But a healthy majority. When they had that majority, why weren't the proposals presented.

What healthy majority? The Senate during Bush II was basically 50/50. In mid 2000 the House voted to allow drilling in ANWR. In April 2003 the Democrat controlled Senate rejected it. In 2005, the Republican controlled House included Arctic Refuge drilling as part of the energy bill. That provision was removed by the House-Senate conference committee due to pressure by conservationists and the defection of TWO Republican Senators (one being Lincoln Chafee who is more Dem than Repub). The Republican controlled Senate passed Arctic Refuge drilling on March 2005 as part of the federal budget resolution for 2006, but that was removed during the reconciliation process as Dems in the Hoiuse stated they would oppose any version of the budget that had Arctic Refuge drilling in it. In Dec. 2005, Republican Ted Stevens, Alaska, attached an Arctic Refuge drilling amendment to the defense appropriations bill, but a group of Democrat Senators led a succesful filibuster of the bill and the language was removed.

Some of this is irrelevant though as much of it is managed through Executive Orders.

Bush II removed the executive order that placed a moratorium on offshore drilling, but that cannot override the congressional moratorium.