Today, the Republican leadership in the house broke the rules in order to get an
oil refinery bill passed. The bill essentially would not only allow for the suspension of environmental laws to build new refineries in the coast, but it would also give oil companies carte blanche in the process, with no gaurantee of lower oil prices.
Our bicameral congress requires that both chambers approve the bill. Let us not allow the disgrace that occured in the House happen in the Senate.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - In a cliffhanger vote held open by Republican leaders until they won, the U.S. House of Representatives passed by two votes on Friday a bill clearing the way for U.S. oil refineries to expand.
The legislation, written by Republican Joe Barton of Texas, barely won approval despite dropping a White House-backed provision that would have gutted clean air rules to help refineries and coal-powered utilities.
In the first major House vote since Texan Tom DeLay was forced to step down as majority leader, Republicans won, 212-210, in a roll call that ran more than 40 minutes, far beyond the allotted five minutes.
Democrats in the chamber chanted "shame, shame, shame" as the final tally was announced.
When over two dozen Republicans initially voted no, DeLay, Barton, House Speaker Dennis Hastert and new Majority Leader Roy Blunt circled the chamber and cajoled the holdouts. link
We cannot let them use their bullying tactics in the Senate. We must not allow this measure to pass in that chamber.
To that end, I urge everyone to contact their senators and urge them to reject the proposal.
This is especially critical if your Senator is a Republican.
Please, email your Senator. Call them, preferably. And demand to know their position on the issue. And most importantly, let them know we'll be watching.
CALL YOUR SENATOR, DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN
Contact info here
Update [2005-10-7 16:34:52 by georgia10]:: Senate bills which deal with the "give big oil a break" issue include:
S.1772 ("Gas PRICE Act")
Introduced 9/26/05, by Sen. Inhofe.
A bill to streamline the refinery permitting process, and for other purposes.
And check this out, as if the oil companies needed
more tax breaks:
S. 1781
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow full expensing for the cost of qualified refinery property in the year in which the property is placed in service, and to classify petroleum refining property as 5-year property for purposes of depreciation.
It will likely be Hatch, sponsor of the aforementioned bill, who will lead the strong-arm squad in the Senate. Indeed, the bill is such a gift to oil companies, they issued a press release thanking him for it! Check out this press release from the
National Petrochemical & Refiners Association in which the NPRA gushes praise on Hatch for introducing
tax incentives and benefits for oil companies who build oil refineries.