Crisis in question of coastal drilling by Magdalena Rosova

Democrats failed in attempt to resurrect a bill to punish price extorting at the gas pump while maneuvering to block Republican's try to expand offshore drilling, an idea obtaining in popularity amid $4-a-gallon gas prices.

Proposal which would enlarge continuation of the ban on oil and natural gas drilling in coastal waters was postponed until later this summer after it became apparently clear that Republicans may have the votes to lift the drilling moratorium.

While Democrats were preparing number of proposals before lawmakers leave for the July 4 holiday recess, Republicans gained that they were being blocked from achieving a vote on whether to end the ban on offshore drilling or not.

Last week GOP presidential candidate John McCain and President Bush demanded the end of the blanket prohibition on energy development over 80 percent of the country's offshore waters. Republicans fought for the end of offshore bans which would allow more domestic oil and gas production.

The House Appropriations Committee put off consideration of an Interior Department spending bill that included continuation of the offshore drilling ban. Similar spending bill was postponed in the Senate as well. Republicans proposed to end the ban and allow oil and gas development 50 miles from shore in all U.S. coastal waters.

Meantime, Democrats failed to get the votes needed to make gasoline and diesel fuel price gouging a federal crime.

Democratic leaders remain strongly opposed to the drilling moratorium. "One way you deal with this problem of supply ... is to force oil companies and gas companies that own permits to drill them," said Illinois Rep. Rahm Emanuel.

Emanuel quested whether Democrats are concerned the GOP drilling measure was getting support and that Democratic leaders were refusing to allow it to come up for a vote. He emphasized that Democrats will soon push legislation that would need oil and gas companies to explore and develop the waters on which they already have federal leases. Oil companies “are using this crisis as an excuse” for a grab of additional federal land and waters, revealed Emanuel.

by Magdalena Rosova for PocketNews (http://pocketnews.tv)

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