Today, Congressman Patrick McHenry criticized the leadership of the Democrat-run Congress for proposing an energy bill that effectively blocks offshore drilling by not offering coastal states, like North Carolina, any of the revenue from offshore leases.

According to the U.S. Department of Interior’s Minerals Management Services, offshore drilling leases would deliver $23.8 billion in tax revenue for North Carolina.

As has been widely noted, with no financial incentive, states would almost certainly veto any drilling off their coasts.  As a result, pro-drilling Democrat Senator Mary Landrieu of Louisiana, has pronounced the bill “dead on arrival in the Senate.”
(source: Congress Daily, 9/15/08)

This appears to be the objective of the House Democrat leadership which has previously stated their ideological opposition to drilling for American energy resources.  Pointing to another of the Democrats’ motivations, Landrieu “said some environmental groups opposed revenue sharing, arguing it would put pressure on states to accept drilling that the groups opposed.”
(source: The Virginian-Pilot, 9/13/08)

“The Democrats want to appear to support drilling while rigging the legislation to ensure no drilling actually occurs.  It comes with a wink and a nod to extreme environmental special interests who bankroll the Democrats’ campaigns,” Congressman McHenry said.

Congress Daily reports that Senior House Democrats confess their proposal is a “political exercise” not intended as serious legislation that would address the nation’s energy crisis.
(source: Congress Daily, 9/9/08)

“With no chance of becoming law, this hoax of an energy bill guarantees that Western North Carolina will be paying high gas prices permanently.  That is unacceptable,” Congressman McHenry stated.

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