Congresswoman Drake is one of the original co-sponsors of National Conservation, Environment, and Energy Independence Act, a bipartisan bill to give Americans control over our national economic future.
It ends a federal moratorium on offshore drilling while allowing states to require they be 50 miles offshore. The bill includes provisions for use of woody biomass, alternative or synthetic fuel, and greater use of hybrid and advanced lean burn technology vehicles
The big win was Drake’s victory in securing changes in the revenue map to protect Virginia.
That’s a huge increase from the “sliver” that Virginia got in the current map where MD and NC converge to angle us out of oil revenue.
Drake also fought and won provisions protecting the Navy’s concerns and the bipartisan bill should be moved forward as soon as possible. Citizens want their representatives to act!
The right wants to jeer him. The left wants to censor him. Moderates usually want both. Brian Kirwin is a political consultant and public relations strategist in Virginia Beach with a lightning-rod flair. Brian also serves on the VB Arts & Humanities Commission and frequently appears on Hampton Roads theatrical stages, if only to prove that all actors aren’t liberals. Kirwin’s columns stir up debate and hit the political scene with no punches pulled. 
Loading ...
“Drake also fought and won provisions protecting the Navy’s concerns”. Brian, call Drake’s office and find out more about these Navy’s concerns. (I called myself but I’m not holding my breathe that the call will be returned.) I bet that she is talking about the Navy’s concerns for offshore drilling in the Eastern Gulf of Mexico. The Navy is maintaining its opposition to drilling in the VACAPES. Actually, according to their June 2008 EIS, it sounds like they are planning to increase training activities in the Virginia Capes Operating Area.
I have some maps etc. posted here FYI…
http://raisingkaine.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=15186
Eileen, I’m not here to do your work for you. Your Sierra Club cohorts are the reason we’re so dependent on other countries as it is.
Afraid of the answer, Brian?
Nice try, but no.
With ~60% of our consumption coming from imports, you could forest the shoreline with rigs and maybe manage to drop that to 55% by 2013. And with transportation accounting for roughly 70% of our consumption, i’d say the blame for our dependence on foreign oil lies squarely with our own love affair with the automobile, especially big ones.
Eileen, the only thing I’m afraid of is running out of useful things to do and reading your blog.
Jeremy, I’d take a car over your tree-hugging, job killing, gas price-hiking, refinery-blocking, nuclear-stopping environmentalists oddballs who have said for years that their solar panels and windmills would solve the problem.
They make a smaller dent than the drop you admit from drilling, but that doesn’t seem to be a problem for you.
BK, save the vitriol for someone you might actually offend. I never said Sierra Club had it right, I just said you had it wrong
. Honestly, the market (ie continuing increasing gas prices) will in this case likely do more to decrease our dependence on foreign oil and faster than additional domestic drilling or a concerted focus on renewables. Dependence is a two factor equation, supply and demand. The debate is so focused on supply, but prices seem to be finally showing their impact on demand, and without any govt-backed disincentives (ie increased taxes) to boot. It just took a little longer than expected. Hopefully other further reaching impacts like more intelligent zoning and “functional human settlement patterns” (to quote EM Risse) will start to be more common too, as increased fuel prices make them more attractive.
BTW, i *like* nuclear power. Even after watching The China Syndrome again on AMC this weekend.
Oil prices are moderating because the dollar is getting stronger. Your side’s hopes that America slows down notwithstanding, it’s about the dollar now.
I just think that we shouldn’t be so reliant on countries that hate us. Remember what happened to the USSR when it couldn’t sell oil and its efforts (heh heh – a story into itself) to build a natural gas pipeline.
I like nuclear too. Go tell your Party.
Congressional Democrats seems not to care what the national energy status is, but they will not compromise on their “anti” status.
Why is it the only compromises that ever happen is when Republicans yield to Democrats. Just once, I’d like to see Democrats compromise on something!
Why do i even bother. Yeah, the Dem’s have sure been known for party discipline the last eight years. Bush couldn’t manage to pass through any legislation, even once the Dem’s took Congress.
FISA.
Telecom Immunity.
Patriot Act.
Bankruptcy Bill.
NCLB.
Medicare Reform.
Energy Bill.
Iraq War Resolution.
the list goes on and on…
About the only legilation that the Dem’s wouldn’t compromise on was social security reform. Hence the constant catcalls of “spineless” by the netroots to the Dem leadership.
Honestly, the Republicans have proved far more capable of ‘party unity’ in both advocacy and obstruction than the Dems until very recently. As a relentless partisan, you should be proud of your party. McCain might be just the medicine Republicans need going forward, but an intra-party uniter he is not.
You guys can continue your partisan battle, if you like, but I’d like to chime-in on the actual discussion of using our own resources to support our energy needs.
First, I think Democrats have it partially right. There are all sorts of land-rights that have already been granted for drilling. Let’s look into using those resources.
Second, we need to allow refineries and the like to be built in the U.S. What, the most recent one was built twenty years or so ago? Not only does that not support production and capacity, but that’s also dangerous, as I am sure those refineries are showing signs of years of wear and tear.
Third, drilling in the ocean is environmentally friendly. Yep. Dirty little secret that the environmentalists don’t want you to know is that by drilling, you relieve the natural pressure created by the oil pressing against its subterranean walls. What happens naturally, is that oil seeps into the water and washes up onto beaches. According to marine biologists in California, the beaches there are actually cleaner than before drilling.
Fourth, the rigs form a reef for wildlife. Apparently it’s a great place for wildlife to converge.
Fifth, oil companies are extremely cognizant and careful about the environment. Would you want to spill your profit?
Sixth, and most importantly, drilling is only ONE of a whole host of things we need to do to reduce our dependency. I think I heard it best yesterday…drill more, use less.
Wow, I REALLY agree with J.R. on this one. Energy policy is definitely a winning issue for the GOP. They need to use it.
I certainly appreciate Drake’s leadership on energy. It makes overlooking the differences on other issues much easier.
Jeremy, you have to go back to the Iraq War resolution to find Democrats compromising?
Thanks for making my point. Why do you even bother?
JR, correct as usual. You’re willing to adopt the points of the left. The left just won’t adopt yours.
Jim,
Though i don’t agree with all of it, well said. By the way, why haven’t any new refineries been built? Is it an actual legislative moritorium? Or are the environmental restrictions so great that theres no financial incentive for investment in that area? I’ve never looked into that aspect.
Jeremy, it’s too much of a headache to build a new one. The industry would rather just expand existing ones. The legal and permitting battle to site a new one just makes it a poor investment for the private sector to want to engage in.
Consequently, the industry opts to expand existing ones, which is a lot easier to permit. The NIMBY crowd is usually much smaller and the government usually permits expansions in under a year’s time, a blip compared to permitting a new refinery.
Partisanship? A Dem bill to address oil speculators got 276-151, which wasn’t enough for it to pass. It needed 2/3rds because the Dems suspended the rules and refused to allow any amendments, like attaching offshore drilling to the bill.
Eileen is an idiot, just like that goofball Nye. We all breathlessly await The One’s energy plan Saturday – the one he said he is going to implement immediately. How is he going to do that, exactly? Wiggle his nose? Thow a temper tantrum until the rest of the world caves in? He’s so not ready for primetime…