WASHINGTON, Sept. 27, 2008
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
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Although Democrats gave in on ending a moratorium on offshore drilling, leases to drill in additional federal waters aren't expected to be made available to energy companies until 2011. (AP)
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Interactive 110th Congress The balance of power shifts and new leadership takes control as the latest session convenes.
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.
© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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CBS practices censorship of criticism of Obama
Posted by negro-vote- at 07:44 PM : Sep 28, 2008
Yeah right, Stupid.- Reply to this comment
- 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........... - Reply to this comment
- 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 - Reply to this comment
- 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.
- Reply to this comment
- 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.
- Reply to this comment
- 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. - Reply to this comment
HUSSEIN PREFERS FOREIGNS OVER AMERICANS,,,
Posted by trrrorislamj at 06:25 AM : Sep 28, 2008
HE PREFERS HIS OWN KIND "MUSLIMS" TO AMERICANS- Reply to this comment
- WHAT IN THE H.E.L.L. IS WRONG WITH DRILLING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE?
JUST MORE LIBERAL SLOW WALKING. - Reply to this comment
Obama Democrats lose again.
CBS practices censorship of criticism of Obama- Reply to this comment
- 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,,, - Reply to this comment
