©2025 League of Conservation Voters
2011 Scorecard Vote
263
163
4
Issues
House Natural Resources Committee Chairman Doc Hastings (R-WA) sponsored H.R. 1229, the so-called Putting the Gulf of Mexico Back to Work Act, which would expand offshore drilling and make it more dangerous by enacting oversight standards that are weaker than those that were in place before the catastrophic 2010 Gulf oil spill disaster, which tragically killed eleven workers, wreaked havoc on the Gulf Coast’s fishing and tourism industries, and damaged coastal and marine ecosystems. The legislation would impose a rushed and arbitrary time period of just 30 days for the Interior Secretary to approve or deny drilling permits, and it would grant automatic approval if no action is taken within 60 days. On May 11, the House passed H.R. 1229 by a vote of 263-163 (House roll call vote 309). NO IS THE PRO-ENVIRONMENT VOTE. While the Senate has taken no formal action on H.R. 1229, much of the bill’s language was included in S. 953, the so-called Offshore Production and Safety Act of 2011, which the Senate rejected on a procedural vote on May 18 (Senate roll call vote 73).
©2025 League of Conservation Voters