House votes to kick-start Keystone XL and open ANWR for drilling

From HumanEvents.com:

The House Thursday passed an energy measure to fund highway and transportation projects that also included contentious language to kick-start the Keystone pipeline and open the Alaska National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) to drilling.

The bill seeks to expand offshore drilling for oil and gas and create a shale oil leasing program, and passed mostly along party lines 237-187.

“Instead of more gimmicky stimulus spending or pork-laden bills of the past, this bill would permanently remove government barriers to job creation and support improving America’s roads and bridges,” said House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio).

Rep. Doc Hastings (R-Wash.), chairman of the House Resources Committee, said that in addition to developing energy for the U.S., money paid to the government for leasing the federal property would pay for infrastructure projects without raising taxes or adding to the deficit.

“Sadly, the president’s actions in office have been anything but pro energy,” Hastings said. “In fact, his rhetoric is 180 degrees from his action -- since taking office, this administration has repeatedly blocked energy production.”

An excellent idea, with one major roadblock:

The US Senate.

BZ