This just shows how out of touch the house is lately with reality. There was never a time (that I can presently things of) that we needed to to this less than now with the oil glut. So, what is behind this? Even though the Senate will likely not follow suit and the president will surely veto it what a stupid idea?
House OKs lifting 40-year-old US ban on oil exports
WASHINGTON
(AP) — Defying a White House veto threat, the Republican-controlled
House on Friday approved a bill to lift a 40-year-old U.S. ban on crude
oil exports. Supporters argued that an ongoing boom in oil and gas
drilling has made the 1970s-era restrictions obsolete.
Associated Press
House OKs lifting 40-year-old US ban on oil exports
By MATTHEW DALY
October 9, 2015 3:24 PM
WASHINGTON (AP) — Defying
a White House veto threat, the Republican-controlled House on Friday
approved a bill to lift a 40-year-old U.S. ban on crude oil exports.
Supporters argued that an ongoing boom in oil and gas drilling has made
the 1970s-era restrictions obsolete.
The bill was
approved, 261-159, with 26 Democrats joining Republicans in backing the
measure that now heads to the Senate, where prospects are uncertain.
The
leader of the House, Speaker John Boehner, a Republican, said lifting
the export ban would lower gas prices, create jobs and boost the
economy."In my view, America's energy boom has the potential to reset the economic foundation of our economy and improve our standing around the world," Boehner said.
Rep. Fred Upton, a Republican and chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, said times have changed and that U.S. policy should embrace a new reality of energy abundance.
"While the (Obama)
administration claims to support an all-of-the-above energy policy,
their actions don't match the rhetoric," Upton said.
Lifting the export ban also would strengthen national security
and weaken economic and political rivals such as Russia, Iran and
Venezuela, supporters said. The measure includes a Republican-sponsored
amendment blocking crude exports to Iran.
The White House called the bill unnecessary and argued that a decision on whether to end the ban should be made by the commerce secretary.
Instead of lifting the export ban, "Congress should be focusing its efforts on supporting our transition to a low-carbon economy" and ending billions of dollars a year in federal subsidies to oil companies, the White House said in a statement.
Opponents — mostly Democrats — said the bill would mainly benefit big oil companies at the expense of American consumers.
Rep.
Jan Schakowsky, a Democrat, said the bill was not needed as long as
U.S. continues to import millions of barrels of oil every day. "Every
barrel exported by this bill will have to be replaced by a barrel of
imported oil," she said.
Rep. Luke Messer, R-Indiana, sponsored
the amendment blocking crude exports to Iran. Messer, who opposed the
recent nuclear agreement hashed out between Iran, the United States and
five other world powers, said Iran should not benefit from expanded U.S.
oil production.
The American
Petroleum Institute, the oil industry's top lobbying group, said the
House vote "starts us down the path to a new era of energy security,
saving consumers billions and creating jobs across the country."
The
Sierra Club, the nation's largest environmental organization, countered
that lifting the ban would lead to a "massive expansion of dangerous
oil extraction," from fracking in North Dakota's Bakken shale region to
drilling in the fragile Arctic Ocean.
___
Follow Matthew Daly on Twitter at http://twitter.com/MatthewDalyWDC
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