Re: Support Markey-Hinchey-Boehlert Motion to Recommit Legislation that Includes Offshore Drilling
12/07/06

U.S. House
Washington, DC 20515

Dear Representative:

The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) is the independent political voice for the environment. Each year, LCV publishes the National Environmental Scorecard, which details the voting records of Members of Congress on environmental legislation. The Scorecard is distributed to LCV members, concerned voters nationwide, and the press.

LCV urges you to support the Markey-Hinchey-Boehlert motion to recommit legislation that includes offshore drilling provisions. The provisions of S. 3711, the so-called Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act of 2006, were recently added to the “tax extender” legislative package. The Markey-Hinchey-Boehlert motion would prevent the Department of the Interior from awarding leases to companies that are currently drilling in American waters without paying royalties. Many current lessees are not paying royalties – even at high prices – due to the failure to include a “price threshold” in their lease agreements. This means that big oil companies are avoiding payments while posting record profits. The Markey-Hinchey-Boehlert motion, which is virtually identical to an amendment to the Interior-Environment Appropriations bill that passed the House on May 18th by a vote of 252-165 (House Roll Call vote 167), brings these companies back to the negotiating table to close the royalty relief loophole.

If offshore drilling language remains in the underlying bill, Members should vote no on final passage as well. This harmful legislation opens eight million acres of Florida's Gulf Coast waters to offshore drilling rigs, including more than six million acres that are currently protected by the bipartisan moratorium on offshore drilling that has been in place for twenty-five years. In addition, it would divert tens of billions of dollars in
offshore drilling revenues from the federal treasury and give the money to just four states. It’s time to stop promoting failed policies of the past and start using American ingenuity to advance a clean energy future that benefits both the economy and the environment.

We urge you to end a giveaway to Big Oil by voting YES on the Markey-Hinchey-Boehlert motion to recommit, and protect our coasts, our environment, and our economy by voting NO on the underlying legislation if it includes offshore drilling provisions. LCV has scored votes on offshore drilling and oil royalties on numerous occasions in the past few years, and the Political Committee will strongly consider updating the
2006 Scorecard to include these votes. If you need more information, please call Tiernan Sittenfeld or Nat Mund at my office at (202) 785-8683. 

Sincerely,

Gene Karpinski
President, LCV