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Rep. Murphy suggests compromise on oil drilling to move energy bill
Aug 14, 12:04 PM
New Britain Herald
By SCOTT WHIPPLE, Herald staff
U.S. Rep. Chris Murphy asked Thursday for the leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives to bring a comprehensive energy package to the House floor for a vote soon after Congress reconvenes in September.
Murphy, D-5th District, is seeking a compromise solution that allows expanded offshore drilling.
In a letter to Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, D-Md., who maintains the schedule for what is brought to the floor of the House for a vote, Murphy called on House leadership to work with Republicans. Murphy believes compromise on increased offshore drilling will open the door to a comprehensive energy bill.
“It has become clear that without a compromise on some increased, sensible offshore drilling, we will not be able to move forward on ideas that will make us truly energy independent,” Murphy wrote Hoyer. “We have to work together to negotiate a common-sense solution to help consumers who can’t afford the bickering. Increased offshore drilling won’t solve our energy problem by itself, but this issue shouldn’t continue to be a barrier to us passing energy legislation.”
To end the partisan stalemate on energy policy by acting in September, Murphy urged the House leadership “not to foreclose any options, including the option of expanding exploration and production in currently protected offshore areas, if such exploration and production would increase domestic supply, lower prices and could be done in a manner that protected our coastal environment and respected the wills of individual coastal states.”
In his letter, Murphy cited efforts the House leadership tried to help consumers in the short term with high energy costs. In July, the House voted on:
- Legislation to expand production and supply by requiring oil companies to drill on currently leased holdings.
- A bill to authorize increased development of the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska.
- Legislation to release oil from U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserves to put more oil on the market,
- A measure to reform commodities market trading to reign in oil speculation.
But, according to Murphy, Republicans blocked these measures, with most of the Republican Caucus voting against each energy relief bill.
Murphy’s Republican opponent for the 5th District seat, state Sen. David Cappiello, R-24th District, says it was the Democrats in Congress who have done the blocking.
“Murphy’s election-year conversion on offshore drilling is a day late, a dollar short and totally disingenuous,” Cappiello said. “Murphy is trying to run away from his repeated votes to block expanded offshore oil and gas drilling by writing a hasty letter to the very leaders he aided in blocking this proposal. Clearly, being out of step with three-quarters of the American public was wearing on him. His latest flip-flop proves he cannot be trusted to address America’s energy crisis unless he is dragged kicking and screaming to do so.”
