While Democrats have resisted ending the drilling ban, they faced increasing political pressure to do so. President Bush and GOP presidential nominee John McCain have called for lifting it entirely, and Democratic nominee Barack Obama has said that he would consider limited offshore drilling as part of a broader energy-policy compromise.
Even in California, where a 1969 oil spill devastated the Santa Barbara coastline, public support for offshore drilling has increased, though Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has opposed lifting the drilling ban.
Rahall called the bill a compromise "between the drill-nowhere crowd and the drill-everywhere crowd."
Republicans complained that the bill denied states a share of the drilling royalties, removing a strong incentive for them to open their coasts. They also argued that the 50-mile buffer would exclude potentially large reserves of oil and natural gas.
"Are we now to believe that these same liberal Democrats standing before us today with a salesman smile on their face, are we to believe them that they are now declaring that this is a pro-drilling bill?" Rep. Doc Hastings (R-Wash.) asked. "There's an election coming up, and Democrats are desperately in search of political cover."
With Congress set to adjourn before the end of the month -- and partisan tensions growing as election day nears -- there may not be enough time for the House and the Senate to reconcile any differences and send a bill to Bush that he will sign.
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richard.simon@latimes.com
