Republican Dentistry HR 6515 (DRILL)

Republicans 'Drill SHRILL' actually votes down 'Drilling' and bathes in higher Gas Prices. Political Dentistry, and you are paying the Price......... Death of Drilling legislation (HR 6515) and the Republicans continuing War on the Middle Class.

How did yours vote?

The Con Swerve & Twists through the American people another curve ball on Friday; signed and autographed by their team 'Leadership' and just in time for the All Star Break festivities.

All we have been hearing lately is the Republican screed of 'Drill Now' - so much so that I thought, maybe, just maybe, they are feeling the same toothache of their constituencies and would actually start working for the American people - however; when it actually came to going to the dentist for all that 'Drilling', they simply begged off, and went with a tooth whitening instead - aka a Republican white washing.

The Con is; that drilling anywhere will have this great and instant effect of lowering our energy pricing - the Swerve is when you actually hold them to a vote, and Twist is how they spin it - or at least attempt to keep the vote quiet. Did anyone hear about this legislature?

Take the HR (house resolution) 6515 voted down by the Con-Swerve & Twists in the US House on Friday, as posted on the GOP House site.

HR 6515 Drill Responsibly in Leased Lands (DRILL) Act of 2008- IN SUMMARY;

Lease Sales in the National Petroleum Reserve: The bill directs the Secretary of Transportation to expedite environmentally responsible oil and gas leases in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska (NPR-A). Lease sales must be conducted at least once a year over the 2009-2013 time period.

Pipeline Construction in the National Petroleum Reserve: The bill directs the Secretary of Transportation (in coordination with the Secretary of Interior) to facilitate environmentally friendly construction of an oil and gas pipeline from NPR-A to transportation and processing infrastructure on the Alaskan North Slope.

Alaska-U.S. Natural Gas Pipeline: The bill requires the President to coordinate with oil and gas companies, Federal agencies, Alaskan State officials, Canadian authorities, and other interested parties to facilitate construction of a natural gas pipeline from Alaska to U.S. markets.

PLA Requirements: The bill requires pipeline developers to negotiate Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) with unions for the production, maintenance, and construction of these pipelines; in general, PLAs are disfavored because they limit competition and increase costs.

Pipeline Maintenance: The bill requires pipeline operators transporting oil and gas from the Alaskan North Slope to annually certify their pipelines are efficiently maintained and operated, with civil penalties imposed on violators.

Alaskan Oil Export Ban: The bill reinstates the ban the export of Alaskan oil.

Issuance of New Leases “Use It or Lose It”: The bill prohibits the Department of the Interior from issuing any new oil or gas leases on onshore or offshore federal lands unless the person (or entity) certifies that they are;

1) “diligently developing” the existing lease areas to produce oil or natural gas (or already producing oil or natural gas); or

2) have given up all existing federal oil and natural gas leases. Within 180 days of enactment, the Secretary of the Interior must issue regulations defining what constitutes “diligently developing.”

**Note: This provision is identical to the “Use It or Lose It” Bill (H.R. 6251) that failed to pass under suspension on July 10, 2008. Under this provision, a company could be penalized if it does not produce oil or gas from areas that do not actually have oil or gas in paying quantities, or from areas that may not be developed because required environmental studies, permits, and other procedural and construction factors are incomplete. It also appears to breach contract terms stipulated in existing leases.

Failure to Comply: The bill imposes civil penalties on individuals (or entities) who fail to comply with these “Use It or Lose It” requirements. This penalty starts at $500 per violation for each day the violation continues and can increase to up to $10,000 per violation for each day it continues.

Federal Oil and Gas Royalties: The bill directs the Secretary of Interior to take all steps necessary to ensure prompt, transparent, and accurate royalty payments on all onshore and offshore oil and gas leases. The Secretary of Interior is also required to make legislative recommendations to Congress for how to improve accurate collection of Federal oil and gas royalties.

Pretty straight forward you would think.

The Oil industry has literally hundreds of thousands of acres already under lease to them from the Department of the Interior; your land, my land, the American peoples land. They have had these leases in place - many since 1969 - and have done bugger all with them, save for a few surveys and environmental impact studies in decades.

So HR 6515 simply states that they either start using them, or show they are going to use them, give them back if they are not going to use them, or are awarded no more leases until they demonstrate to the American people that they are interested in using the lease they already have.

It also says that Oil currently flowing from Alaska, be used exclusively for domestic use. Fact is that the Alaskan fields are already being used domestically, this provision just wanted it in writing that it would continue doing so. Heck, it even did not specify the terminology for 'diligently' so that the conversation would move forward - leaving it to the department of the Interior to determine who was being diligent, and who was just parked on what could be a productive lease.

The Resolution wants this drilling to be done in a responsible way - I guess anything that is 'responsible' precludes the Con-swerve & twists for voting for it - and for transparent collection of duties, so that the American people are not taken for another energy ride, on the lands WE THE PEOPLE own.

Then of course there is the PLA agreement, that asks that this drilling is done using the same oversight standards we hold Labor Unions too - and not the lax 'Haliburton standards' that give us $7.00 paper plates, and American soldiers getting electrocuted in their shower stalls, in Iraq.

Either way its more Drill Shrill Con Swerve & Twist screed, pumped through the freak show known as as the Extremest Fundamentalist Party - once know as the GOP.

It's high time you through your own 'curve' ball, and throw these republicans bums out...... How did yours Vote?

NORTH CAROLINA Dist 5 - Virginia Foxx
NORTH CAROLINA Dist 6 - Howard Coble
NORTH CAROLINA Dist 9 - Sue Myrick
NORTH CAROLINA Dist 10- Patrick Mchenry