A year after the Deepwater Horizon explosion in the Gulf of Mexico, Congress has not passed any major law to prevent another disaster. Why? “The opposition to new legislation that requires stricter oversight largely stems from the anti-regulatory zeal of conservative lawmakers and from the influence of the oil industry, say congressional staffers from both parties. In 2010, the oil and gas industry spent more than $146 million to lobby the federal government and donated $28 million to federal campaigns, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.” After a self-imposed timeout, BP is back with the other oil giants, handing out checks to members of Congress. Their brand of pay-at-the-pump politics is effective. Just last week, the new leadership of the House Natural Resources Committee pushed through three bills to make it easier to drill for oil and gas off the coast of North Carolina and several other states.
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Perhaps whenever its contributions exceed those of individuals, the Center for Responsive Politics could issue a press release that announces the successful leasing of another congressional committee by the oil and gas industry!
Leo,
In case you don’t realize it, our economy needs help. Are you ready for $5/gallon gasoline? We need to do all we can to increase domestic drilling to help the economy by putting people to work, lowering the price of gas, increasing revenue for the government. Don’t listen to those nattering nabobs of negativity. Let’s drill, drill, drill.