Over the past 30 years:
Which party blocked the development of new sources of petroleum?– Democrat
Which party blocked drilling in ANWR?– Democrat
Which party blocked drilling off the coast of Florida?– Democrat
Which party blocked drilling off of the east coast?– Democrat
Which party blocked drilling off of the west coast?– Democrat
Which party blocked drilling off the Alaskan coast?– Democrat
Which party blocked building oil refineries?– Democrat
Which party blocked clean nuclear energy production?– Democrat
Which party blocked clean coal production?– Democrat
Republican Senator Craig gave this speech (and put together these charts/maps) in May 2006.
Nothing has changed since then:
We are experiencing higher gasoline, oil, and natural gas prices today because of decades of restricted development of new sources of petroleum.
From ANWR to off-shore development such as Lease Area 181 in the Gulf of Mexico, we have identified oil and natural gas reserves that can be developed and used responsibly. Yet time and time again efforts to increase supply, and reduce prices, are blocked. For instance, ten years ago President Clinton vetoed development in ANWR.
Democrats for the past 30 years have blocked every effort to responsibly develop the energy resources our country possesses.
As Americans pay more for gas than ever under this Congress—
Democrats continue to vote against drilling and oil exploration.
Instead, Democrats believe taxing oil companies will somehow bring down gas prices.
Even, Jay Leno is mocking them.
Democrats like to attack evil American oil companies and block them from drilling off our coasts.
But, it doesn’t seem to bother them when China starts drilling for oil in these same areas 50 miles from Key West.
Yesterday, with gas prices at an alltime high, Speaker Nancy Pelosi mocked Republicans for wanting to develop our reserves here at home.
Victor Davis Hanson wrote:
Nancy Pelosi chanted “Veto and Drill”, “Veto and Drill” in caricaturing the threatened presidential veto of windfall oil company taxes and desire to drill in ANWR and elsewhere. But all that might sound, in fact, good to most Americans. With the world’s largest reserves of coal, after creating the nuclear power industry ex nihilo, and with billions of oil still under our soil and waters, it makes no sense to produce less energy while blaming and taxing those who produce what we have, rather than drilling, digging, and saving, as we find ways to transition to the alternate energies. The problem is not just oil, but importing oil at $120 a barrel that is bankrupting us as much as it is enriching the wrong people.
This would seem to be an explosive campaign issue (if the candidates disagreed), especially if someone could offer a rough estimate of how many billion barrels of oil are in no-go areas, times them by $120 a barrel, and then compute how many trillions in national wealth we leave untouched while we pay our enemies for the commensurate alternative. I could accept the argument that it will take years to get the oil out of Alaska, the coasts, or other federal lands and therefore is not worth it (the classic argument for stasis), if we could be convinced it will not take even a greater amount of time to get solar and wind technology cheap and efficient enough to produce the bulk of our energy needs.
Well here’s a start for Victor– If we are importing 5,000,000,000 barrels of oil each year due to Democratic politics (from the above chart produced back in 2006)– We are paying the oil producing regimes $600,000,000,000 this year for oil.
But for some reason Democrats think taxing oil companies will fix this problem?
That is a death wish for America.
Previously:
Thanks to Democratic “No Zones”, the US Is in Grave Danger
It’s Official, Cuba Hires China to Drill Oil Off Florida Coast
Despite Oil Crisis, Democrats AGAIN Block US Firms from Drilling!
Democrats Crack Gas Jokes Then Vote Against US Oil Development
Union Protesters Get Lost, End Up at White House
Democrats Fail to Prevent Senate Oil Drilling Bill from Passing
Despite Global Oil Crisis, Dems Will Block Drilling & Exploration!
In First 100 Hours, Democrats Propose Ban on Oil Drilling
Democrats Force American Energy Companies to Flee
Americans Can No Longer Afford the Pelosi-Reid Gas Prices
Pelosi-Reid Congress Sets Another Record… In Gas Prices
House Dems Pass Massive Tax Hike on Oil Companies to Bring Down Price of Fuel
So Much For That Pelosi Plan to Cut Gas Prices
Dems Mock Bush– Vow No New Drilling or Nuclear Plants!!
