Boehner: Reid & Pelosi Are Standing Against What Americans Want
I honestly believe Reid & Pelosi are the worst “leaders” (Hell, I can’t even call them that) that this country has ever seen.
“The president of the United States, with gas at $4 a gallon because of his failed energy policies, is now trying to say that is because I couldn’t drill offshore,” Pelosi said in an interview. “That is not the cause, and I am not going to let him get away with it.”
Her voice carries considerable weight since, as speaker, Pelosi is in a position to prevent a vote on expanded drilling from reaching the floor
And she and Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, appear intent on holding the line against calls to approve drilling in areas now off limits. They mount the counterargument that the oil and gas industry is not aggressively exploring large expanses it has already leased on land and offshore. They also have urged Bush to pour some fuel from national reserves into the commercial supply chain in an effort to lower prices.
Trying to demonstrate that Democrats are not opposed to drilling in acceptable locales, the House is scheduled to vote on Thursday on a proposal that would deny oil companies any new leases unless they can show they are diligently exploring existing holdings. It would also require annual lease sales from lands in Alaska set aside as a National Petroleum Reserve, and directs the Interior Department to make sure a pipeline is linked to the reserves. Democrats, not subtly, are calling the measure the Drill Responsibly in Leased Lands, or Drill, Act. In the Senate, Democrats are pushing a measure to curb speculation in oil markets.
But Representative John Boehner of Ohio, the Republican leader who is escorting a delegation to the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge this weekend, said the Democratic approach was woefully insufficient. He said Pelosi, in insisting on preserving the drilling ban, was putting Democrats in the cross hairs of voters furious about gas prices.
“I think Speaker Pelosi is walking her Blue Dogs and other vulnerable Democrats off a cliff and they know it,” said Boehner, referring to the coalition of Democrats representing more conservative districts.
He accused the speaker of using procedural maneuvers to thwart votes on expanded drilling, a position he said would prevail if the moment arrived. “Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi are standing in the way of what the American people want,” Boehner said.
(IHT)
 |
|
