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Friday, March 12, 2010

The Obama Moratorium: No Offshore Drilling While He’s In Office

The Obama administration’s six-month delay in approving new offshore drilling leases in federal waters will become a new three-year ban, Interior Secretary Ken Salazar quietly told reporters last Friday. Which means that no new oil and gas leases will be approved during President Obama’s term even though two –thirds of the American public supports such activity, according to a December 2009 Rasmussen poll.

Sixty percent also believe that gas and oil prices will drop if the government allows offshore drilling, opening up an estimate 14 billion barrels of oil and 55 trillion cubic feet of natural gas

On July 14, 2008 President George W. Bush lifted an executive ban on Outer Continental Shelf leasing. On October 1, 2008, in a bipartisan agreement, Congress lifted another longstanding ban on new oil and gas leasing in the OCS.

Drilling was supposed to begin this July. But Salazar said he intends to discard the 2010-2015 lease plan developed by the Bush administration in favor of a new plan that won’t even go into effect until 2012.

“Secretary Salazar has finally confirmed what had long been feared – that the Obama Administration has no intention of opening up new areas for offshore drilling during his four-years in office,” said Rep. Doc Hastings, the ranking Republican on the House Natural Resources Committee.

So for the next three years and probably more, trillions of dollars in domestic energy assets will remain untouched while billions of dollars more are spent on foreign oil.

Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/blogs/beltway-confidential/The-Obama-Moratorium-No-offshore-drilling-while-hes-in-office-87246077.html#ixzz0hvPYWJOJ

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

....and this comes as a surprise to people? His "master plan" doesn't include much that helps the american people unless it furthers his causes. Think back on his campaign promises......and count the number of them that he has already broken. We're getting "change" alright! Short changed!

Anonymous said...

Do the math people. Offshore won't even put a dent in the supply issues here in the US. Sorry, you won't drill your way out of this one. Stop falling for the BS.

Anonymous said...

No surprise at all.

Anonymous said...

9:27

If we only got one barrel of oil, wouldn't that be more than we have now?

Anonymous said...

1 barrel means nothing to your gas prices. Under current consumption the projected amounts of oil available offshore would also have a minimal effect. I say allow offshore only as a compromise for a plan that expands renewable energy sources but cut the dog and pony show of "drill baby drill".

Anonymous said...

Obama won't let the U.S. take advantage over it's own natural resources . Clearly he's against our oil but not Saudi oil and has promised to end the coal industry and has made similar threats against natural gas . These three resources could end our dependence on foreign oil long enough for the development of green energy sources I wish we had a leader instead of a loser ! IMPEACH OBAMA NOW !

Anonymous said...

10:28,

Great point. And to get that barrel it will only cost millions. Are you an idiot?

Anonymous said...

11:44 you're comment reeks. If you want to dislike the pres., atleast be factual about your displeasure.

The vast majority of our oil is already either produced here in the US or comes from non-arab sources (Mexico, Canada).

Show me this promise to end coal and natural gas (and not the BS sound bite that half-truth loving loonies on the right put together).

And oh yeah, the US is already one of the largest producers in the world of all three resources that you have mentioned. Yet I still don't see any independence from foreign oil.

Sheesh, turn off the Rush/Beck crapathon sometime and read up on the facts for yourself.

Anonymous said...

1:26 You are truly a cool-aid drinker ! Didn't you watch the campaign when the liar n chief said he would " bankrupt the coal industry " should he be elected President. ? You can't change facts . At least do a google search all by yourself without the Daily KOS MSM telling you what to think .

Anonymous said...

Obama:‘But this notion of no coal, I think, is an illusion. Because the fact of the matter is, is that right now we are getting a lot of our energy from coal. And China is building a coal-powered plant once a week. So what we have to do then is figure out how can we use coal without emitting greenhouse gases and carbon. And how can we sequester that carbon and capture it.'

It's a shame so many of you do not listen or read transcripts. Instead you will take whatever soundbites the tv gives you as a full truth. Hint: TV/Radio are all out to sale ads, not educate you!

Anonymous said...

6:11 screams "cool-aid" but cannot refute the information provided.

Anonymous said...

12:39 It was 6:11 who provided the well known quote which was said during the campaign . It was 1:26 who is denying the well documented quote . Stupid lefties on here !