Bill To End Offshore Drilling Ban Passes

Omnibus Spending Bill, Heavy On Defense, Heads To Bush; Includes Aid To Disaster Victims, Loans To Auto Companies

(CBS/AP)  Senators have passed a spending bill that aids Gulf Coast disaster victims and subsidizes federal loans for automakers. President Bush is expected to sign the measure despite some reservations.

The 78-12 vote Saturday also lifts a quarter-century ban on oil drilling off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. That's a big victory for Republicans.

The $634 billion bill also would provide money to keep the government running past the current budget year, which ends Tuesday, and keep domestic agencies at current levels until March - effectively punting their budgets to the next president and Congress.

The measure is dominated by $488 billion for the Pentagon, $40 billion for the Homeland Security Department, and $73 billion for veterans' programs and military base construction projects - amounting to about 60 percent of the budget work Congress must pass each year.

The stopgap measure to keep the government in business was needed because the budget process broke down this year. Agencies would be funded through March 6 or until their regular budgets pass.

After hard lobbying, automakers won up to $25 billion in low-interest loans to help them develop technologies and retool factories to meet new standards for cleaner, more fuel-efficient cars.

Republicans say ending the drilling ban should lower gasoline prices. Democrats say it won't mean additional oil production for years.

The budget legislation is the result of months of wrangling between Democrats who control Congress and the lame-duck Bush administration and its allies on Capitol Hill. The administration won approval of the defense budget while Democrats wrested concessions from the White House to obtain $23 billion in disaster aid and $5.1 billion for heating subsidies for the poor.

Smaller spending increases would gear up the Census Bureau for the 2010 count, boost spending for Pell college grants to avoid shortfalls, and fix problems in the Women, Infants and Children program, which delivers healthy foods to the poor.

The lifting of the offshore oil drilling moratorium does not mean drilling is imminent. But it could set the stage for the government to offer leases in some Atlantic federal waters as early as 2011.

The legislation also contains 2,322 pet projects totaling $6.6 billion, according to Taxpayers for Common Sense, a watchdog group. That included 2,025 in the defense portion alone that cost a total of $4.9 billion.

[leftyintexas]

CBS practices censorship of criticism of Obama

Posted by negro-vote- at 07:44 PM : Sep 28, 2008

Yeah right, Stupid.

[hbevis]

The criminals that already estroyed our country are hard at work doing as much as possible before they are removed.
Voice yourselves. www.theoandavirus.com/forum

Posted by Nellyolson at 12:10 AM : Sep 29, 2008

AGREED...........

[nellyolson]

The criminals that already estroyed our country are hard at work doing as much as possible before they are removed.
Voice yourselves. www.theoandavirus.com/forum

[hbevis]

THIS MONEY MESS HAS BEEN KNOWN FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW. LENDING INSTITUTIONS HAVE BEEN OVER LENDING FOR A VERY LONG TIME. THEY HAVE LET PEOPLE HAVE MUCH MORE THAN THEIR HOMES WERE WORTH AND HAVE RAISED THE INTEREST ON A LOT OF THEM AS WELL. THE DEMOCRATS HAVE BEEN IN CONTROL FOR TWO YEARS AND THEY WON CONTROL BY SAYING THAT THEY WERE GOING TO STRAIGHTEN UP THIS UNHOLY MESS. AND THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO AGREE WITHIN THEIR OWN RANKS AS TO WHAT SHOULD BE DONE.

[hbevis]

THIS MONEY MESS HAS BEEN KNOWN FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW. LENDING INSTITUTIONS HAVE BEEN OVER LENDING FOR A VERY LONG TIME. THEY HAVE LET PEOPLE HAVE MUCH MORE THAN THEIR HOMES WERE WORTH AND HAVE RAISED THE INTEREST ON A LOT OF THEM AS WELL. THE DEMOCRATS HAVE BEEN IN CONTROL FOR TWO YEARS AND THEY WON CONTROL BY SAYING THAT THEY WERE GOING TO STRAIGHTEN UP THIS UNHOLY MESS. AND THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO AGREE WITHIN THEIR OWN RANKS AS TO WHAT SHOULD BE DONE.

[hbevis]

What is more important, oxygen or oil? 80% of our oxygen supply comes from the ocean. Why would we EVER want to jeapordize our oxygen supply by handing over the keys to the kingdom to rich oil companies? This is a mistake. Posted by shameonbush at 05:21 AM : Sep 28, 2008

A LOT OF WHAT YOU SAY MAY BE TRUE. BUT, I AM THINKING THAT MOST OF OUR OXYGEN COMES FROM THE SOUTH POLE.?!
EVEN IF 80% OF OUR OXYGEN COMES FROM THE OCEANS, A LITTLE BIT OF OIL IS NOT GOING TO STOP THAT PROCESS.

[hbevis]

HUSSEIN PREFERS FOREIGNS OVER AMERICANS,,,

Posted by trrrorislamj at 06:25 AM : Sep 28, 2008

HE PREFERS HIS OWN KIND "MUSLIMS" TO AMERICANS

[hbevis]

WHAT IN THE H.E.L.L. IS WRONG WITH DRILLING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE?

JUST MORE LIBERAL SLOW WALKING.

[negro-vote-]

Obama Democrats lose again.









CBS practices censorship of criticism of Obama

[trrrorislamj]

HAVE ANY MONEY LEFT???

MARXIST HUSSEIN PLANS TO GIVE YOUR MONEY TO THE WORLDS POOR,,,

GLOBAL POVERTY ACT

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=OBAMA+GLOBAL POVERTY ACT

YOU CAN KISS YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY GOOD BYE,,,

HUSSEIN SAYS THE WORLD POOR NEEDS IT MORE THAN YOU DO,,,

HUSSEIN PREFERS FOREIGNS OVER AMERICANS,,,

[trrrorislamj]

HUSSEIN PLANS TO STEAL THE ELECTION

WILL YOUR VOTE COUNT???

OR WILL ACORN VOTER FRAUD STEAL THE ELECTION???

HUSSEINS OTHER RADICAL MARXIST HATE AMERICA ASSOCIATION

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=OBAMA+ACORN VOTER FRAUD

The Acorn Indictments
A union-backed outfit faces charges of election fraud.
http://opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110009189


ACORN Workers Indicted For Alleged Voter Fraud
http://www.kmbc.com/politics/10214492/detail.html

Inside Obama''s Acorn
http://www.aina.org/news/20080529155204.htm

[shameonbush]

What is more important, oxygen or oil? 80% of our oxygen supply comes from the ocean. Why would we EVER want to jeapordize our oxygen supply by handing over the keys to the kingdom to rich oil companies? This is a mistake.
If you ever get the chance you should rent "Earth biography." It''s absolutely fascinating. At the very end of the series we are told that the world will be fine even with global warming, our earth has healed many times, of course it takes millions of years, but the earth will be fine. Humanity is what is being threatened, our very existence. And instead of us recognizing the threat we are under and doing everything in our power to prevent further damage, we open our oceans up to the most greedy corporations on the face of the planet and expect them to watch over the health of our oceans while drilling for oil anywhere they want to. It''s unbelievable.

[trrrorislamj]

Economists not keen on DEMONIC-RAT bailout

NO NO NO,,, GOD DAMNN THE DEMONIC-RATS,,,

DEMONIC-RAT CORRUPTION IS KILLING AMERICA,,,

MORE FAILED SOCIALIST/COMMUNIST POLICIES OF THE PAST,,,

Burning Down The House: What Caused Our Economic Crisis?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5tZc8oH--o

COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT ACThttp://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=COMMUNITY+REINVESTMENT ACT
http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT ACT

Timeline shows Bush, McCain warning Dems of financial mess
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMnSp4qEXNM&feature=related

S. 190 [109th]: Federal Housing Enterprise Regulatory Reform Act of 2005

http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill.xpd?bill=s109-190

http://www.opensecrets.org/

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=CENTER FOR RESPONSIVE POLITICS

http://search.yahoo.com/search?p=CENTER FOR RESPONSIVE POLITICS

Covering Your Fannie, Who Really Caused Our Economic Crisis?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AiEWCnpNnBQ&feature=user

HUSSEIN AND THE DEMONIC-RATS ARE BAD FOR AMERICA,,,

[roost_one]

US Oil Exports Hit Record Pace. That''s Right, Exports
See story in today''s Huffington Post
So sad to see Demos cave to the Greedy Oil Party and their ''**** followers

[tincup356]

they say they are making progress? I personally think they are scared to pass it for fear of 77% of people polled have outright said NO BAILOUT, it puts them between a rock and a hard spot and they deserve to be there , now let them decide what ruins them , vote yes and have the people revolt against them, or vote nay and betray the lobby dollars and under the table deals they have cut with the devil on this one? I personally am glad I''m not any one of them right now.

[afmca]

Opening up offshore drilling is just another lie in the unbelievable string of lies perpetuated on America by the Republican Party and their masters in the Oil Industry. The simplistic intelligence of Republicans just continuously amazes me. At best these wells will come in over the next 10 to 15 years. If America used that time to focus and bring to bear the best scientists and inventors to create better renewable energy sources, this oil would not even be needed. This is the dying grasp of a dying industry to shift the focus and money for their collective greed. If America is to lead the world''s economy we cannot rely on old energy sources, but must be the leader in renewables. This sets that effort back a decade. The Oil Industry needs their Republican prostitutes in Congress to run interferance for them once again.

These energy issues are complex but the Republican Party has proven that for their base simplistic explanations are better absorbed. In a decade when these new wells have done nothing to make America less reliant on Middle Eastern oil, the Republican Party and their followers, who are incapable of taking personal or political responsibility or accountability for their actions, will be looking for another scapegoat.

[jellolion]

It is amusing to me how many people seem to think that more drilling in the US means gasoline will be cheaper for us. Where do you think that oil goes? To the US government? Ha Ha. The government virtually gives it away (for *** and drugs as we now know). It goes to the same oil companies that are scewing us over right now. Oil is a global commodity. The price isnt going to drop because a few more wells in the US. And when the price does drop, oil companies dont drop the price of gasoline, they pocket the extra profit.There is plenty of oil in Texas and Oklahoma. But they stopped drilling it in the early 80''s because it is much cheaper for them to get it from the Saudis. The oil companies dont want to do much drilling in the US because it is cheaper for them to get the crude from the middle east, offload it from a tanker, refine it, then make up an excuse for jacking up the price.

[tincup356]

lol the golden liars rule ..those with all the gold can lie all they want

[jellolion]

It is about time that someone pulled their head out of their a.s.s.,we should have been drilling 20 friggin yrs. ago.Oh the poor polar bears I forgot.I guess God wanted us to be the dominate species on this planet,since we are made in his image.It is called the cycle of the food chain,we aren''''t going to go back to riding horses so polar bears can eat you if they get a chance anyway''''s.


what is this "we"?? Unless you own an oil company and are making deals to drill on government land, you are not part of "we". thanks for reminding me how low people can get. Is it called the food chain?? Unless polar bears have 30''06 rifles, we left the food chain a long time ago. You probably wouldnt want to know what god told me to do.

[tincup356]

oil prices are all due to speculation run wild and never returning to the norms.oil is down almost 30% since july''s high but gas prices never came back down, its been one excuse after another , and our great representatives in congress let big oil and speculators testify...but didn''t make em take an oath, i guess pro sports players have a different set of rules to testify with.OH i forgot,,, you cant lie to congress but congress can lie to you.