June 15, 2010: Gulf congressmen demand more offshore drilling

[seafan]

And, surprise, surprise, they are all Republican and all have greedily swilled Big Oil And Gas money.



Gulf congressmen demand more offshore drilling

Posted by William Gibson on June 15, 2010 12:36 PM

While Florida leaders try to fend off drilling rigs, House members from other Gulf states are clamoring to expand energy exploration near their oil-soaked shores.

Despite environmental damage from the BP spill, 17 members from Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama called a press conference on Tuesday to urge President Obama to end his six-month moratorium on new deepwater drilling.

They say the ban hurts the economy of their region, which is built around the oil industry.

Drilling proponents cite estimates that more than 20,000 existing and potential jobs would be lost if the moratorium continues. And they say many drilling companies and suppliers would not survive a six-month delay and will either go out of business or move abroad.

They also claim the ban increases American reliance on foreign oil.

The other Gulf states are at odds with Florida, which consumes a lot of oil and natural gas but has built its economy around the natural environment.

Obama has suspended but not halted development of 33 new deepwater rigs while investigators determine the cause of the current spill and look for ways to prevent another one.

A larger debate focuses on the administration’s five-year plan to expand drilling into new areas of the Gulf and along the Atlantic coast. The administration has put that plan on hold as well.

The Gulf state members who want to keep on drilling include:

Rep. Ted Poe of Texas 44,250
Rep. Joe Barton of Texas 100,470
Rep. Charles Boustany of Louisiana 73,850
Rep. Gregg Harper of Mississippi 21,300
Rep. Robert Aderholt of Alabama 4,000
Rep. Michael Burgess of Texas 39,350
Rep. Kevin Brady of Texas 52,900
Rep. Michael Conaway of Texas 116,950
Rep. John Culberson of Texas 44,400
Rep. Ralph Hall of Texas 31,250
Rep. Michael McCaul of Texas 64,300
Rep. Randy Neugebauer of Texas 75,900
Rep. Pete Olson of Texas 72,700
Rep. Rodney Alexander of Louisiana 46,175
Rep. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana 32,500
Rep. John Fleming of Louisiana 76,300
Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana 44,335

Contributions by Big Oil And Gas to House members listed here, and added to the above text for clarity.


Here's something to bring home to your constituents, boys.

[NC_Nurse]

1. Texas and Louisiana are owned by Big Oil. No surprise there.

[HowHasItComeToThis]

4. SO SAD

LONE STAR STATE MUST FEEL VERY ALONE WITH OLLY EGO AS EXCUSE HOW ARE YOUR MACMANSIONS VALUED NOW?

[NC_Nurse]

6. Indeed. Mor epeople ready to shoot themselves in the foot.

[Scurrilous]

2. K & R

:thumbsup:

[damntexdem]

3. They can have their oil, or they can have a world.

They may find that even Gulf populations will choose the latter.

[Ardent15]

5. Not surprising. The corporations own the politicians everywhere.

In this case, its the oil companies.

[gateley]

7. In all fairness, they're probably getting pressure from their constituents who are

looking at their jobs being in limbo. They're being short-sighted which is understandable with mortgage and car payments looming...

In my fantasy, they would take this time to use all those workers and employ them in a balls-to-the-wall effort to develop and build clean energy sources. I'd be happy to see my tax dollars go to that.

[Scurrilous]

8. Glad to see no one from Florida on that list. n/t