Why is there no fair up-or-down votes on lifting Congressional bans on domestic oil drilling? The American people are facing real financial hardships from record-high gas prices. And … what is the “action” Americans get from Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and her liberal colleagues! They adjourn for an undeserved five-week vacation!
You would think someone would ask why Pelosi and her liberal cohorts are so dead set against taking any action to relieve the pain Americans are feeling at the gas pump that she adjourned Congress and left Washington for a five-week vacation
And … why is it that when a group of conservative legislators tried to speak directly to the American people about the urgent need for Congress stay and to address our nation’s energy crisis before going on vacation, Madam Speaker Pelosi angrily shut off the cameras and the microphones, and quickly closed up house?
During a time when so many Americans simply can’t afford to go on vacation because of the high price of gasoline, Nancy Pelosi and her liberal cohorts have no qualms about taking their five-week summer recess.
And when asked to explain her irresponsible actions, Madam Speaker Pelosi could only repeatedly yell: “I’m trying to save the planet … I’m trying to save the planet. I will not have this debate trivialized by their excuses for their failed policy.”
What I want to know is how Pelosi is trying to save the planet by taking a five-week vacation … especially when she and Congress are needed in Washington right now to do their jobs? How many more American citizens will have to suffer before she declares the world safe?
And even more to the point, exactly what failed policy is Pelosi talking about? President Bush and conservative legislators are calling for the reversal of a 30-year policy of limiting domestic drilling. They are trying to reduce America’s dependence on foreign oil by responsibly increasing our domestic supply.
How can a policy that hasn’t been implemented in 30 years be a failed policy? Is Nancy Pelosi that out of touch with the 70% of Americans who support more domestic drilling?
Are we going to let Pelosi get away with her callous irresponsible actions while Americans are suffering, in large part, because Pelosi objects to any and all new domestic drilling?
Whatever Nancy Pelosi may wish, this is not a socialist country yet! And … Nancy Pelosi cannot single-handedly squash free speech and blatantly disregard the will of the American people. This is not the way things work in the United States of America!
We need to demand that Pelosi’s and her comrades be brought back into town … kicking and screaming if necessary … Americans should demand a fair up-or-down vote on lifting Congressional bans on domestic drilling.
D.C. Gilbert 
Domestic oil drilling will do nothing to oil prices, Bush’s EIA even admits that. This is because the US has less than 3% of the world’s oil. The push for domestic drilling is from the oil industry, who wants to make more money. The problem is that there are 6.6 billion humans on earth, who all want oil. We are using 1000 barrels of oil per *second*, and that is more than the earth can produce.
There are two ways to make energy cheaper:
1. energy efficiency – this helps in two ways: 1) it reduces demand and as a result, oil prices, and 2) it means we pay for fewer gallons of gas
2. alternative energy – there is unlimited wind and solar energy, and the U.S. has some of the best winds and brightest sunshine to tap that. Plus, it would generate thousands of jobs.
Certainly we have to become more energy efficient!
Alternative energy is also certainly an option. However, in the mean time, we are a long way off from wind or solar powered cars, weed eaters, farm tractors, portable generators, motorcycles, and lawnmowers.
Increasing the supply of oil by tapping into known large oil fields is another option. And, Bush’s EIA aside, even someone who has had Economics 101 understands has a basic understand of the laws of supply and demand.
Or … then again … we could just sit back, do nothing, and let the Chinese drill for our oil. Maybe they will be kind enough to sell some of it back to us at a “fair” price.
I agree that the transition to alternative energy will be difficult (and expensive) for a few years. But we should do it sooner rather than later. As you said, oil prices are supply and demand. More domestic oil drilling in the U.S., with only 3% of the world’s oil reserves, will only reduce the cost of gas by 8 cents per gallon…20 years from now.
Oh, and I certainly agree with you that I don’t want another country (such as China) drilling in the US!
Jay,
“I agree that the transition to alternative energy will be difficult (and expensive) for a few years.”
I highly doubt the United State’s “energy crisis” can be solved in a “few years”. It will take much longer than that. We are no where near coming to the cost-effective ratio to completely replace oil.
20 years from now? I could have sworn most Democratic opposition claim that 10 years is the key for “it to work”. Which by the way, is the claim President Clinton made.. oh.. about 10 years ago. Boy, that would have helped right about now. As Darren posted, the principles of Supply and Demand can be applied to here, as with any commodity. Even if the threat of the supply is going to go up, oil prices will drop. It isn’t about the actual quantity of oil out there. It is about speculators buying/selling future oil at locked in prices, based on the supply they think it will be at that time.
Now as for your asinine claim of 1000/bbl per second.
U.S. gasoline consumption of 320,500,000 gallons per day (March 2005) works out to about 3700 gallons per second. A 42-gallon barrel of oil makes about 19.5 gallons of gasoline. So if 19.5 gallons of gasoline comes from 1 barrel of oil, 19.5 = 1b … 3700 \ 19.5 = 189.74 barrels per second. My source: http://www.gravmag.com/oil.html
But I understand, gasoline isn’t the only oil product we use. So there is room for fault (I doubt 800 barrels per second). Granted, this was also back in 2005.. but I highly doubt the % of oil consumption has increased 400% in 3 years. But, a second source…
http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/ene_oil_con-energy-oil-consumption
Oil consumption by the US is 20,730,000 barrels per day. There are 86,400 seconds per day. 20730000\86400 = 239.9 barrels per second. Now.. this is total US consumption of oil. Not just gasoline. The earliest comment posted here is 2005 as well, so.. we’ll assume this is 3 years old as well. In 3 years, I still don’t believe Oil consumption has grown over 400%.
So I have 2 sources listed here, with math giving us the following:
190/bbl second (gasoline was only figured here)
240/bbl second (TOTAL bbl of oil consumption)
Those figures are NO WHERE NEAR the 1000/bbl second ratio you gave us.
Unless you can provide the source and math of your statement, that claim is just ludicrous.
Daniel,
You go dude!
Darren