Seems to me Pelosi has been open to a vote on oil drilling all along. What she has opposed, from what I understood, was the way the republicans framed oil drilling -- insisting that oil drilling would lead to lower gas prices, which is a misnomer.
She also rejected republican's sudden interest in getting something done as a political stunt. Oil drilling, after all, is John McCain's platform. McCain is being influenced by the oil companies. Anyone who doesn't think that oil companies are behind the push for drilling is kidding themselves.
Just giving oil companies rights to drill without the context of a larger energy package is shortsighted. Why give the oil companies what they want without getting anything in return?
CNN: On Monday night, Pelosi said the vote would need to be part of a larger discussion that would include investing in renewable energy resources and releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve. Those options would help bring both immediate and long-lasting solutions to the energy crisis, she said.
In her interview with King, Pelosi talked about what the government and country needs to do to avert the energy crisis and quickly bring down gas prices. The following is an edited version of the interview:
.....
King: Would you vote yes on a package that includes drilling?
Pelosi: I would not. It depends how the drilling is put forth. But I don't -- that is not excluded, let me say it that way. It depends how that is proposed, if the safeguards are there. Now, mind you, 68 million acres -- 10 million more acres in Alaska where they can drill.
But if there's -- if we can get some great things, in terms of renewable energy resources: a renewable electricity standard, wind, solar, biofuels and the rest in that context, because if you make a decision only to go with the offshore drilling, you are increasing our dependence on fossil fuels, and you will never free yourself of that addiction unless you invest in the renewable energy resources that are good for the environment, cheaper for the consumer and will reverse global warming.
And the consumer is our first responsibility. The American taxpayer owns this oil offshore, by the way. Let me make this one final point. This oil is owned by the American taxpayers. The oil companies drill. We give them money to drill there. But we get very little in return.
So I think as we have this debate, which is a very healthy one to have and I welcome it; we have to review and realign the relationship between our oil, Big Oil's profits and what it means to the consumer and the taxpayer.
King: Do you expect -- do you suspect the oil companies of having a lot of clout here, influence over the Republicans?
Pelosi: Of course. Yes, they rule. And that's what we'll find out.
King: They rule?
Pelosi: When we have this vote, when we really define it and where the choice is clear to the American people -- I mean, do you know what -- Exxon Mobil, their last quarter, their profits were historic. Last year, they were historic. They outdid themselves this year already in this second quarter. And they insist that we pay them to drill. They need an incentive to drill in order to make over $11 billion in one quarter. And it just doesn't make sense. We should be using that money to invest in renewable resources, tax credit for wind and solar, etc. and invest in the technologies that will develop the battery and the rest, instead of giving Big Oil more profits.
