Will Hodes Support Sham Energy Bill Bad for Coastal States?

For Immediate Release:                                                                  Contact: Press Office
September 15, 2008                                                                                     (202) 479-7070

Will Hodes Support Sham Energy Bill Bad for Coastal States?
Senator Landrieu “Urged House Members to Oppose” Dems “Energy” Bill that “Won’t See the Light of Day in the Senate”

Washington- Now that Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) has made public statements calling on representatives like Paul Hodes (D-NH) to oppose the House Democrats’ new sham “energy” bill, Hodes owes his constituents a straight answer on who he will side with – the people of New Hampshire or his party bosses in Washington. 

“The biggest question remaining this Congress is whether Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) really want to cut a deal with the White House before the elections to allow more offshore oil drilling — or whether they are going through an elaborate exercise to give their Members a heaping dose of political cover.

“They note her package includes no revenue sharing for states that choose to allow drilling, which they consider a poison pill. Nor is there any provision for drilling closer than 50 miles, which puts off limits most of the oil reserves on the West Coast, where the Outer Continental Shelf is narrow.”  (Roll Call, 9/15/08)

The New Orleans Times-Picayune reported that Senator Landrieu has seen through the House Democrats stunt, and is calling on members like Hodes to oppose this sham bill:

 “Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., on Friday urged House members to oppose a House Democratic leadership bill because it does not include revenue-sharing provisions for states that accept drilling off their coasts.”

“‘I believe there is widespread support among Democrats and Republicans in the House and the Senate for some version of revenue sharing for the coastal states,’ Landrieu said.  ‘Because they do not have it in the House bill, I think it will be very difficult to pass it in the House and it most certainly won't see the light of day in the Senate.’” (The Times-Picayune, 9/13/08)

Pelosi’s proposal also contains energy tax hikes and cost-increasing mandates that will raise taxes on the domestic production of gasoline, home heating oil and natural gas.  It would also mandate that utility companies produce 15 percent of their electricity from renewable sources—which imposes costs that would be passed along to consumers.

Paul Hodes has one simple question to answer:  Will he support Pelosi’s latest sham ‘energy’ proposal that was cobbled together at the 11th hour in order to cover up his long record for opposing comprehensive energy solutions?

 “The bill marks a turnaround by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., who has resisted calls to expand oil and gas drilling off the Atlantic and Pacific coasts. The Democrats need to provide political cover to moderate members of their caucus who could suffer on Election Day unless they can show constituents they voted for an expansion of drilling.” (Congressional Quarterly, 9/13/08)

“Paul Hodes has continued to be a lapdog for Pelosi’s ‘do-nothing, drill-nothing’ policies.  Hodes will have a chance to vote this week to put the interests of his constituents in New Hampshire before Pelosi for the first time,” said NRCC spokesman Brendan Buck.  “Supporting bad policy to provide himself with political cover is hardly the type of ‘change’ that Hodes promised he would bring to Washington.”