Nelson Promises Filibuster If House Passes Offshore Drilling Bill (FL)

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- If the House passes an offshore drilling bill that has split Florida's congressional delegation, Sen. Bill Nelson said Monday that he would filibuster the measure in an effort to block it in the Senate.
A House vote is expected this week on the bill that would end a 25-year ban on drilling off much of the nation's coastline and could bring rigs as close as 50 miles from Florida's beaches. It would, however, allow states to bring drilling closer than 50 miles or extend the buffer to 100 miles out.

Rising fuel prices have increased support for drilling in environmentally sensitive areas, and the bill last week cleared the House Resources Committee 29-9 with bipartisan support.
"Some of the pro-oil boys may well try to bring the House bill directly to the floor of the Senate," Nelson said in a telephone interview. "If that's the case, then we'll have to filibuster the bill."

Nelson, D-Fla., Sen. Mel Martinez, R-Fla, all seven of Florida's House Democrats and at least four of the state's 18 House Republicans have voiced opposition to the measure that Rep. Adam Putnam, R-Bartow, negotiated with House Resources Chairman Richard Pombo, R-Calif. It is expected to draw support from several other Florida Republicans.

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Gov. Jeb Bush supported a similar compromise that failed last year because he was afraid Congress will refuse to continue the existing moratoriums when they expire in 2007 and 2012.

"I'm not supporting the bill, I'm supporting the concept of providing greater security for Florida's shorelines," Bush said.

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U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris, R-Longboat Key, who is running for the Senate, introduced an alternative bill Tuesday that would prohibit any drilling within 125 miles of the coastline unless specifically approved by the governor and legislature.

The bill has split the Florida congressional delegation. Backed by Gov. Jeb Bush, at least four Florida GOP House members were involved in the negotiations that led to the bill. Russell Schweiss, the governor's spokesman, said Bush supports giving the state control over drilling while protecting the coast. He said the governor's office was still reviewing the bill.

WASHINGTON — With time running out and little consensus on how to handle a bill to allow drilling 100 miles off their beaches, Florida’s members of Congress took the only route they could agree on: They sought a delay.

But House Republican leaders said late Tuesday that a delay was unlikely, and a vote was still scheduled for Thursday. And as impatience grows with Florida’s intransigence on off-shore oil and gas exploration, attorneys for the House Resources Committee drafted an amendment to cut Florida from the bill altogether.


That would leave the state without the bill’s protections against near-shore drilling and force its congressional delegation to fight drilling forces in Congress alone, at a time when the political pressure to drill has never been stronger.


Meanwhile, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush flew to Washington late Tuesday to urge Florida’s congressional delegation to vote for the bill, which would ban drilling up to 50 miles off the nation’s shores, unless states opted to allow it closer. States also could ask the Interior Department to ban drilling up to 100 miles offshore as well.


“The choice is pretty clear: Either you engage and make a difference in terms of making sure Florida’s interests are protected, or I guess you go down in defeat and claim that you were righteous,” Bush said before leaving Tallahassee.


Many Florida lawmakers weren’t prepared to yield, however.

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Coastal Drilling to Resume if Bill Passes

By H. JOSEF HEBERT
The Associated Press
Wednesday, June 28, 2006; 11:29 PM

WASHINGTON -- Oil and gas drilling could resume in most coastal waters
after a 25-year freeze under a bill that would generate billions of dollars
for four Gulf states that already welcome offshore rigs.

The House measure also would benefit energy companies that operate miles
from the U.S. shore by easing environmental rules for coal and hardrock mining
and production of geothermal energy.

The House planned a vote on the legislation on Thursday.

The bill would end a freeze on oil and gas drilling in place since the early 1980s
over most of the Outer Continental Shelf waters beyond the eastern and central
Gulf of Mexico.