Maybe we should drill for oil after all

In President Obama’s Saturday radio address to the country, we learn that the President has decided that we really do need to decrease our dependence on foreign oil.  Thus, we will now drill for oil here.

The President said,

the measures ‘make good sense’ and will help reduce U.S. consumption of imported oil in the long term.

Pardon my sarcasm, but would these be the same “measures” that he has blocked over the past year?  Well, yes, they are.

It seems that we are now in campaign mode, and people are not exactly happy with the price of gas, so, here is what the President is proposing.

First, the administration will extend all leases in the Gulf by one year.  Since the BP oil spill there has been a “temporary moratorium” on drilling and most drilling in the Gulf has been prohibited.  So, any company that held a lease (most leases have a ten year term) has lost one year of the lease term, and thus, one year of drilling.

 And,

[l]ease sales in the western and central Gulf of Mexico that were postponed last year will be held by the middle of next year…

It is anyone’s guess why the sales can’t take place now, as opposed to a year from now, but, at least, it is progress.

On the Alaska front, where we have enormous oil deposits,

[t]o further expedite drilling off the Alaskan coast, where such plans by Shell Oil Co. have been delayed by an air pollution permit, Obama said he would create an interagency task force to coordinate the necessary approvals. He also will hold annual lease sales in the vast National Petroleum Reserve on Alaska’s North Slope.

As a former government employee, I am always suspicious of any “interagency task force” coordinating anything, but, we’ll see.  Notice, though, the use of the word “coordinating”, not “expediting”.

The President does acknowledge, however, that his measures,

won’t help to immediately bring down gasoline prices…

No surprise there, but, what is a surprise is that the House has recently passed three bills addressing these issues, and the President vowed to veto them all, assuming , of course, that Harry Reid (D.Nv.) allowed anyone of them to reach the Senate floor.

What a difference an election “year” makes. 

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SoundOffSister

The Sound Off Sister was an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and special trial attorney for the Department of Justice, Criminal Division; a partner in the Florida law firm of Shutts & Bowen, and an adjunct professor at the University of Miami, School of Law. The Sound Off Sister offers frequent commentary concerning legislation making its way through Congress, including the health reform legislation passed in early 2010.

14 Comments

  1. sammy22 on May 15, 2011 at 5:48 pm

    One could at least say that he listened. As noted though, the US may get the oil out of the wells by the time Medicare is bankrupt. Another way to be less dependent on imported oil (not the price), is to consume less oil. Maybe, it’s just me.



  2. TomL on May 15, 2011 at 6:50 pm

    Sammy we could consume less but we would still be dependent on foreign oil. The idea as I understand is to be self sufficient.



  3. sammy22 on May 15, 2011 at 7:47 pm

    The US produces about 50% of its oil consumption. Cutting any amount would help. As T. Boon Pickins liked to say last year we transfer abroad $700 billion per year to purchase oil, that’s quite a bunch of money.



  4. GdavidH on May 15, 2011 at 9:46 pm

    Even Darth Vader knew when to reject the dark side and?throw the Emperor overboard.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yWR5jePoH8



  5. Dimsdale on May 16, 2011 at 12:45 am

    Political expediency once again.? I just wish ?bama would get out of campaign mode and paying off supporters long enough to actually work for the country vs. his party.? Of course, he is only paying lip service to this topic long enough to get elected.? Remember what the shelf life is on his “promises”.
    ?
    What next: will he promise to actually read the ?bamacare legislation and “fix” that too?



  6. winnie888 on May 16, 2011 at 6:53 am

    Dims, Obama’s promises are just like perishable dairy products.? When they expire (meaning when he doesn’t have to keep them anymore), the stink is unbearable.



  7. Tim-in-Alabama on May 16, 2011 at 7:20 am

    I borrow this term from an on-line pundit: Obama’s energy policy is “Drill, maybe, drill.” On one cloven hoof, he’ll promote drilling and the issuance of more permits, while on the other cloven hoof, he will instruct the EPA or some other agency to slow the permitting process to a crawl.



  8. phil on May 16, 2011 at 8:20 am

    “…at least he listened.”? Yeah, to his campaign handlers.



  9. ctrefugee on May 16, 2011 at 8:57 am

    You mean Sara Palin was correct. “Drill Baby, Drill”



  10. ricbee on May 16, 2011 at 9:51 am

    It appears? Obama will do anything to get re-elected. Just signing those bills will bring down the price of gas. And drilling will bring it down permanently.



  11. Murphy on May 16, 2011 at 12:24 pm

    Was Obama’s lips moving? If so then it’s that back to what Congressman Joe Wilson said to Barrack Hussein Obama……? LIAR!



  12. SeeingRed on May 17, 2011 at 8:20 am

    I think Barry is a racist for mentioning oil.

    Signed,

    David Gregory



  13. Jeff S on May 17, 2011 at 11:56 am

    OK, so now he wants to drill for oil.? If, per chance he fools everyone again and happens to?gets re-elected, how long after the second inauguration will this order be rescinded?



  14. Don Lombardo on May 18, 2011 at 7:39 am

    Right, and Shell Oil was just denied permits to drill in Alaska.



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