Issue: H.R. 4480 Strategic Energy Production Act of 2012.
Result: Passed in House, 248 to 163, 21 not voting. Died in Senate. Democrats scored.
Bill Summary: H.R. 4480 would increase the federal land available for energy production, streamline the drilling permit process, limit environmental review of exploration projects, curb lawsuits against energy companies and press for an opening of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.
Analysis: This sensible step attacks the decades-long federal restrictions on domestic fossil fuel extraction. These unconstitutional restrictions, imposed under the phony pretext of protecting the environment, have served to maintain America’s dependence on oil from the Middle East.
Nevertheless, this roll call merely contributes to the GOP campaign posture of striving to combat high gasoline prices and create jobs. It had no future in the Senate or on the president’s desk.
America is the victim of a calculated, subversive plan by the Insider Establishment to limit America’s access to domestic energy supplies. Rather than take the offensive to expose that plan, its objectives, and the forces behind it, the GOP leadership engages in the politically “safe” but losing wrestling match over environmentalist objections and charges that the measure was a giveaway to the oil and gas industries.
We do not score the House GOP for their almost unanimous support of this measure (229 to 5). But we do score the Democrats and thus applaud the 19 who stood against the environmentalist inroads and the revolutionary agenda of their own party’s leadership.
We have assigned (good vote) to the Ayes and (bad vote) to the Noes. (P = voted present; ? = not voting; blank = not listed on roll call.)