As Democrats Rein in Oil and Gas Drilling, These Dems Say “Drill, Baby, Drill.”
On Thursday, the House passed the Arctic Cultural and Coastal Plain Protection Act, which repeals a provision of the Republican tax bill from last Congress, that opened the coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (Arctic Refuge, or ANWR) to oil and gas development.
The vote was 225 to 193.
Five Democrats joined Republicans in voting against it: Jim Costa (CA-16), Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), Collin Peterson (MN-07), and Filemon Vela (TX-34).
Four Republicans joined Democrats in voting for it: Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Tom Rooney (FL-17), Chris Smith (NJ-04), and Elise Stefanik (NY-21).
Republicans put forward several amendments to try to stymie the bill. The most ironic was an amendment from Paul Gosar (AZ-04) to require the Department of Interior to certify that the bill will not adversely affect jobs available to Native Americans, minorities, and women. Because Republicans just care about Native Americans, minorities, and women so much.
It failed 193 to 230.
Four Democrats voted for it: Jim Costa (CA-16), Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15), Rick Larsen (WA-02), and Collin Peterson (MN-07). Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01) was the sole Republican NO vote.
The prior day, House Democrats passed the Coastal and Marine Economies Protection Act, which places a permanent moratorium on oil and gas leasing on the Atlantic and Pacific coasts.
It passed 238 to 189.
Five Democrats joined Republicans in voting against it: Henry Cuellar (TX-28), Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Vicente Gonzalez (TX-15), and Collin Peterson (MN-07).
Twelve Republicans joined Democrats in voting for it: Vern Buchanan (FL-16), Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Matt Gaetz (FL-01), Jaime Herrera-Beutler (WA-03), Trey Hollingsworth (IN-09), Pete King (NY-02), Brian Mast (FL-18), Tom Rooney (FL-17), John Rutherford (FL-04), Chris Smith (NJ-04), Michael Waltz (FL-06), and Lee Zeldin (NY-01). Unsurprisingly, six of the twelve are from Florida, and most of the others are from the Mid-Atlantic (NY/NJ/PA).
Paul Gosar’s messaging amendment to change the bill’s name to the Russian Energy Reliance and U.S. Poverty Act failed 161 to 272, with several dozen members of his own party voting against it. His attempt to pretend to care about jobs for women and minorities, and to push a false jobs vs. environment binary, also failed 179 to 252.
