Herman

Cain

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May 26, 2008

Oil Abounds in America, but Democrats Vote to Keep It In the Ground

The Democrats in Congress have gone beyond ignoring real solutions to the pain at the gasoline pump and other critical problems. They are ignoring the people altogether in order to gain more political power.

Sadly, the mainstream media is allowing it to go almost unnoticed. I will not.

During the week of May 15, 2008, the Senate had three opportunities to increase the domestic production of oil and help ease our economy’s dependence on foreign oil. All three times the Democrats voted as a block to deny passage of critical oil liberating legislation.

The American Energy Protection Act of 2008 (Senate Bill 2958) would remove restrictions on oil exploration and drilling in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) and the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). This would have opened access to about 24 billion barrels of oil, which is enough to keep America running for five years with no foreign imports, while other energy technologies are being developed.

Senate Bill 2958 was offered as an amendment to another bill on the floor of the Senate and the Democrats promptly voted it down. Only one Democrat, Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, voted yes with the Republicans on increased production.

Sen. Landrieu is running for re-election this year. She is the same senator that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid convinced at the last minute to change her vote on permanent repeal of the death tax in 2006. Her vote for the increased oil production bill is a bone to the furious business community of Louisiana for reneging on her commitment to kill the death tax.

Secondly, Senate Bill 2958 would have removed commercial leasing restrictions on oil shale rich areas of Colorado, Wyoming and Utah. Oil shale is a solid material containing oil, which makes it more expensive to extract than traditional oil liquids. But today’s oil prices have made access to this source of oil more cost effective.

It is estimated that there are two trillion barrels of unexplored oil shale right here in the United States. That’s trillion with a “t”.

Lifting the oil shale restrictions was considered separately as an amendment to the FY2008 Supplemental Appropriations Bill in Committee, and failed on a party line vote of 15 to 14. No Democrats voted in favor of oil shale development.

The third opportunity came as a motion on the Senate floor to give governors the authority for increased exploration on the OCS in their “backyard” for new areas of production. The motion was voted down by the Democrats 51 to 44 with three Democrats voting with the Republicans. Sen. Landrieu was one of the Democrats . . . another bone to the people.

The mainstream media’s preoccupation with trying to squeeze more drama out of the Democratic presidential primary has left the Democrats in Congress unchecked on other critical issues. This is not a new development. It’s just a worsening one.

As the Democrats in Congress hold useless hearings to attack oil companies, pass useless legislation to try and sue OPEC, and continue to promote their wrongheaded idea of a “windfall profits” tax, the people continue to endure the pain of their irresponsibility.

There is nothing more critical to our national security than addressing our rapidly increasing dependence on foreign oil. And there is nothing more frustrating than the Democrats in Congress continuing to block all attempts to explore the oil resources we have right here at home.

But there is still hope! The original Senate Bill 2958 is stuck in committee.

A few thousand emails to Sen. Jay Bingaman, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, might help to blast it onto the Senate floor. If you are interested, go to www.hermancain.com and click on “Do Something Now!”

Let’s see if the Democrats in the Senate can ignore 10,000 voices.

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