A Step in the Right Direction
July 15th, 2008 by abrownYesterday, President Bush announced that he was lifting an executive ban that has prevented offshore drilling for nearly two decades. The lifting of the ban, which was put into place by the former President Bush in 1990, represents a step in the right direction towards lower gas prices and American energy independence.
However, the executive ban is not the only obstacle in the way of increased domestic production. A Congressional ban that was instituted in 1981 still stands in the way. However, the President’s action increases the pressure on Congress to lift its ban and allow exploration and drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), eighty-five percent of which is currently off-limits.
Although increasing domestic oil production is not the “silver bullet” that will solve the energy crisis, it will provide some short-term relief from high gas prices until an economically viable alternative can be found.
It is now up to Congress to do the right thing for the American economy by lifting its ban on offshore drilling and moving the nation towards energy independence.
July 17th, 2008 at 7:37 pm
All this is on the part of GWB is simple, political grandstanding & gimmickery. Nothing that he has done recently has changed (or will change) anything with respect to offshore oil drilling. So much for him saying that the USA was “addicted to oil”…
“it will provide some short-term relief from high gas prices until an economically viable alternative can be found.”
The oil that MIGHT be out there in the depths of the ocean will take DECADES to make it to market…that’s not a “short-term” solution!