House Advances Rules to Expedite Drilling Permit Approval on Federal Lands; Activists Flip Out

From TheHill:

The House on Tuesday set up debate and votes on two bills that Republicans say will help encourage energy development and create jobs.

Members voted 222-196 in favor of a single rule that covers both bills. One is H.R. 1965, the Federal Lands Jobs and Energy Security Act, which would set shorter deadlines for approving drilling permits on federal land.

The House was originally planning to pass this bill today, but House Republicans said in the early afternoon that a final vote would come Wednesday. A spokeswoman for the GOP said the vote would be delayed due to "a significant amount of committee activity this afternoon and evening."

You can read that whole article by clicking here.

Here is how EcoWatch reported the story:

Now that House Republicans have moved beyond closing national parks, stalling environmental safeguards and canceling research in places like Antarctica with the government shutdown, they’re scheduled to pass three wildly misguided energy bills.

These bills, H.R. 1900, H.R. 1965 and H.R. 2728, would give industry complete control over federal lands, and shut down the public’s voice. Worse yet, they would actually force development on precious lands in such places as the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska. Already the White House has threatened to veto two of the bills.

Even stalwart supporters of fossil fuel development should be taken aback by the overreaching nature of these bills. We strongly urge Americans to call on their elected representatives to vote no on this terrible trio, for the good of our country’s natural resources and to protect the right of public engagement. Let’s take a closer look at why.

Read that whole article here.

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